AN entrepreneur has started a mattress-cleaning company to wage war on creepy crawlies.

Businessman Simon Tate said the contents of a standard mattress were shocking.

Mr Tate, of Leyburn, who has set up The Cleaner Bed Company, said: "When I started to look into the facts about what the average mattress contains, including dust mites and a multitude of other unwelcome guests, I was truly appalled"

After 12 months of research, Mr Tate discovered mattress cleaning was already popular in the US and Europe but new in the UK.

Finding that normal domestic appliances were not suited to the task, the businessman devised a chemical-free cleaning system using a commercial vacuum and dry-steam cleaning machines.

He said it was important that beds were kept clean.

Mr Tate said: "Hopefully, this new service will help people sleep more easily."