Dubliner Lisa Baldwin ( 28) has been a bodyguard for the last 10 years.

“I don't tend to tell people what I do. If I'm getting chatted up and tell the guy I'm a bodyguard the next thing they do is challenge me to knock them to the ground!

“Men need to feel physically stronger. It's easier to say I'm a personal trainer or a hairdresser.

“My dad suggested getting into close protection work. He has a friend who runs the International Bodyguard Association, so I signed up for a training course.

“I'd been warned that some women just like the idea of the job then once they're in this very macho environment — and it is 99pc male — they decide it's not for them, but I knew I'd found my niche.

“I'm trained in defence and restraint, different driving skills, explosives and surveillance and fire arms training.

“I've done some celebrity stuff, Rod Stewart's wedding for example, but I'm not that interested in protecting people from a camera lens.

“Most of my work is with wealthy people under a real security threat.

“Often clients prefer a female bodyguard because you don't stand out the way a big, burly minder would. People automatically assume you're their wife, girlfriend, PA or secretary.

“Being a successful bodyguard isn't about being physically threatening.

“Your weapon is your brain and often women are better negotiators and more able for talking themselves out of a difficult situation.”