A reporter from the Nottingham Evening Post found a new 'buddy' for one of her latest features, when she road-tested an invention designed to make lone drivers feel safer behind the wheel at night.

Lynette Pinchess went for a spin with 'Buddy on Demand', a prototype of a blow-up man developed by car insurers Sheila's Wheels, which from the rear, in the dark, is supposed to look like a beefy bloke sitting in the passenger seat.

For the experiment she took her husband along in a separate car - for real protection - and then recounted her experience in the Post.

She said: "I've been out with some odd men in my time, but this was the strangest - with his jaundiced face, portly belly clad in red overalls and huge inflated head.

"Night-time driving in some parts of the city, on the motorway or quiet rural lanes can leave a lone woman driver feeling vulnerable, so my inflatable friend could come in handy."

However Lynette admitted she felt more embarassed than safe, and suggested a few modifications were needed before it hits the shops.

She said: "I was praying that the traffic lights didn't change to red. Can you imagine the guffaws of crossing pedestrians or a motorist pulling up alongside?

"The very thought made me cringe. If anything you're drawing attention to yourself.

"A double take and startled look from a man near a kebab shop confirmed the theory."

She added: "For Bud to become a regular passenger in my Vauxhall, he would need a few modifications to make him more life-like and less like something from an adult shop.

"A smaller head and a less inflated chest would make him more realistic and less of a laughing stock."

A spokeswoman from Sheila's Wheels told Lynette: "Almost half of female motorists tell us they feel vulnerable driving alone at night.

"We're not saying that an inflatable man is the only answer but we do hope it will give women extra confidence and make journeys in the dark less fearful."