DID you hear the one about the Watford bodyshop apprentice who asked his manager for a 50p hourly increase?

The manager refused, the apprentice opened his own workshop down the road and, ten years later, bought the company for himself.

Mr Mark Woodward, 34, of Chorleywood, is the owner and founder of the Laser Group accident repair centre at Unit 2, Olds Approach, Tolpits Lane, West Watford.

Originally a student of St Clement Danes School, Chenies Road, Chorleywood, Mr Woodward left school at the age of 16 to attend a one-year course in motor mechanics at the then Watford College of Further Education in Water Lane, Watford.

Following temporary work with a number of companies, aged 19, Mr Woodward secured a full-time mechanics apprenticeship with Lucketts Coachworks in Old Approach, Tolpits Lane.

Mr Woodward completed his apprenticeship while at Lucketts, and was later made a panel beater.

However, his manager refused to give him an annual salary increase for four years running.

Mr Woodward, married and a father of three, said: 'I was very happy working for Lucketts and would probably still be there today but I couldn't believe it when I was refused an annual pay rise. It was only 50p an hour.'

Having expressed his major disappointment, Mr Woodward resigned from Lucketts and took on the lease for a work site further along Tolpits Lane.

He said: 'I remember standing in the empty site, with no solid plans as to how I was going to make it all work. All I knew was I had a friend with a fleet of 500 vehicles that needed fixing.'

The contract gave birth to further contracts, and now, into its tenth year, the Laser Group accident repair centre looks forward to expanding its client base following their recent acquisition of Lucketts vehicle repair bodyshop.

Lucketts has been established in Watford since 1830 and provides a number of services, including car hire and coachworks.

In 1997, transport operators Arriva bought the coachworks sector, which included the 17,000 sq ft vehicle repair bodyshop in Olds Approach.

Knowing Arriva did not intend expanding the vehicle repair sector of the business, Mr Woodward approached the company last month and made them an offer - the offer was accepted and Mr Woodward now looks forward to developing the business.

The take-over is said to have caused little disruption to the staff of Lucketts, as Mr Woodward has kept all remaining staff on.

vdillingham@london.newsquest.co.uk