THROUGH expanding its business via the world wide web, a Teesdale corner shop is now selling sweets to a dolly mixture fan in the Middle East.

The Shop in Greta Road, Barnard Castle, is run by the Gulliver family and sells everything you would expect to find on such premises, including jars of cherry lips, floral gums and Merry Maid toffees.

"When we took over about four years ago, we sold a few varieties," said Kim Gulliver, "but we then found a wonderful cash and carry that was like an Aladdin's Cave for sweet lovers.

"We began to stock more and more and, as customers were buying them to send to their families abroad, I wondered if I could do something about setting up a web site."

Mrs Gulliver, who has always been interested in computers, then took advantage of a free, one-day course about software, aimed at helping those living in areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease.

With the help of a neighbour she created and set up her own site, www.sweetsfortreats.co.uk, before going on to make use of the local portal www.n-e-life.com, which offers a free link to her site to potential customers.

Her first order was from a woman in Israel, who had spent a week in England, where she discovered the delights of dolly mixtures.

"She was thrilled that we could send parcels to her, and has since gained a taste for jelly babies and festival creams," said Mrs Gulliver.

"Our site pictures 50 kinds of sweets, and gives a description of each, but with chocolate bars etcetera we stock about 150 varieties in the shop. If anyone wants sweets not displayed on the site, we will do our best to get them."

The portal's general manager, Norma Foster, said that www.n-e-life.com was the unique electronic community of the North-East.

Developed over the last year in conjunction with the Rural Development Agency, One North-East, the first phase of the Market Towns ICT initiative has provided "gateways" into every aspect of life of the rural market towns taking part.

Orders have been coming in from across the UK and overseas for businesses in the ten towns, which include Stanhope, Crook, Barnard Castle and Guisborough.

Sweets for Treats was one of the first businesses to take part, taking advantage of a free, three-page micro site within the portal. Training on how to use, develop and maintain it is also promised.

With the project ready to be extended to other rural towns, Mrs Foster is encouraging more businesses to get involved. She pointed out that it cost nothing to establish a basic e-commerce presence via www.n-e-life.com.

"With more than 200,000 users accessing the portal every month, there are plenty of potential customers who could see what firms have to offer and make purchases that might otherwise have gone to competitors," she added.

"We're extremely pleased with how the project's first phase has gone and are looking to extend it to other parts of the region," added Mrs Foster.

Since her first overseas sale to Israel, Mrs Gulliver now has regular orders from Greece, New Zealand and America, but says that, although she values the involvement with Mrs Foster, she would welcome extra help with developing and maintaining the site, including future marketing direction.

She welcomes inquiries at her Sweets for Treats web site and via the portal, which provides access to information on every aspect of life in the region, including entertainment, goods and services and tourist attractions.

Anyone wishing to take advantage of the ICT initiative should visit www.n-e-life.com and click on Join Today.