A FIRM based in Eaglescliffe is providing a guilt-free ironing service to people in Cleveland and County Durham.

Four months ago, Robin Scott and his partner, Tina McKenzie, set up Homba a next-day ironing service which covers Stockton, Ingleby Barwick, Yarm, Darlington, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

Miss McKenzie said: "We moved from Greater Manchester to Eaglescliffe earlier this year. In some ways we took the ironing service idea from my cousin who runs a similar business in Manchester.

"We've had a great response. We work five days a week and it's going fantastically well. At the moment it's just the two of us but in the future we are going to need to take on someone else."

The company also donates 3pc of all invoices to the British Heart Foundation, in a bid to ease the guilt felt by some people who have paid others to do their ironing.

Mr Scott said: "Gone are the days when people will spend hours ironing in front of the TV, people lead more active lives these days and have got far better things to do - and that's where we come in.

"We came up with the idea to donate some of our profits to charity in an attempt to reassure our customers that some of their money is going to a good cause."

Homba uses commercial ironing equipment and offers a collection and delivery service with a 25pc discount for first-time customers.

For more information, call 01642 807 618.