Man wins fight to be named Buzz Lightyear on driving licence

A man who changed his name to Buzz Lightyear for charity has won a year-long battle with the DVLA to have a driving licence in his new name.

Mr Lightyear, who was formerly known as Sam Stephens, faced an epic fight worthy of his namesake to get his new identity recognised by the agency.

The DVLA initially turned down his application, saying that his name could bring the company into disrepute as Buzz Lightyear was a "fictional character".

However after Mr Lightyear made it clear he was willing to fight the case to infinity and beyond, the agency relented on appeal.

The 27-year-old, of Bideford, Devon, had changed his name to raise money for the children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

He signed the deed poll formalizing his new identity on the finishing line of the Brighton Marathon after reaching a fundraising target of £2,000.

The assistant manager also got a tattoo of the Toy Story hero on his leg in aid of charity.

He said that the DVLA's refusal to honour his new name had caused him problems.

A spokesman for the DVLA said: "We recognise people may choose to change their name for many reasons.

"The driving licence is an important official document which is used both here and abroad.

"That is why we look for a range of evidence to support the application before we update our records."