TRADITIONAL nappies could oust environmentally damaging disposables, thanks to a business venture by a Richmond mum.

Nicky Osborne, seen at work above, launched the Happy Nappies hire and laundry service on Monday from the town's Gallowfield trading estate.

Mrs Osborne, 31, expects her second child in September and was acutely aware of the cost - both financial and environmental - of disposable nappies.

The former driving instructor equipped herself with premises and a van and distributes cloth nappies and collects them for washing. She covers an area from Ripon to Darlington.

The nappies have a biodegradable liner which can be wrapped and flushed and the nappy is stored in a sealed and scented container for weekly collection.

Mrs Osborne's son, Lucas, seven, came up with the name for the company and her husband, Richard, and other family members backed her venture.

"Disposable nappies do a lot of damage to the environment and a survey found that re-usable nappies can save as much as £850 over 2 years compared with disposables," said Mrs Osborne. icture: D&S