THOSE of you who have watched the hit television show Top Gear will be aware of the Stig, but did you know that the first Stig was a Laindon boy – Perry McCarthy?

Having been born in Stepney in 1961, Perry and his family moved to Church Road, Laindon, when he was six.

He went to Laindon Park Junior School, graduating to Laindon High Road School before going onto Basildon College to study for his A Levels.

While at college, Perry passed his driving test and spent his spare time racing around the streets of Basildon.

He realised if he wanted to be a racing driver, he had to start with Formula Ford 1600.

Perry managed to get a contract in 1981 with Van Diemen, who were based in Rayleigh.

Unfortunately, he was too fast for his own good and kept crashing, earning the nickname of Mad Dog.

So, in 1983 he joined the Green Racing Team and, with them, went on to be crowned the 1983 Dunlop Tomorrow Champion after winning six out of 10 races.

He moved on to race for Motor Racing International but, at Oulton Park, he had a bad crash and ended up unconscious with a broken back.

Following his recovery, he worked his way through the junior categories of motor racing and in 1991 he was chosen to test drive for the Footwork Formula One team.

Perry thought his big break came in 1992, when he signed for Formula One racing team Andrea Moda.

However, the car was unreliable and he failed to qualify for any of his 10 races.

The team folded and his Formula One career was over before it began.

Perry went on to compete in five 24 Hours Le Mans races before becoming the first Top Gear Stig.

He retired from racing in 2004 following injury to his left shoulder and currently lives in Billericay with his family.