Richmond'S Gary Cox is quick on the draw - and with a little help from his friends, the 35-year-old is hoping to make a killing.

But the father of two is no gunslinger - it is his artistic talent which is in demand and with help from Bedale Business Solutions he is ready to make the most of his skills with a paintbrush.

"I have always been artistic and have worked in that field in a number of ways, including tattooing and engraving,'' he said.

"Someone hooked me up with the Lone Parents Scheme and they helped me find a job.

"Doors have already opened, I have my driving licence and now I have set up my business."

His first commercial job was to paint five Disney characters on the walls of a council-run creche in Leeds.

However, it is not the first time Gary has painted a large surface - his 13-year-old son Daniel and seven-year-old daughter Savannah, can already have designs painted in their bedrooms at home in Richmond.