A COUNTY Durham businessman has come up with a novel approach to fighting obesity.

Paul Alexander, from Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, left the area eight years ago to set up a fitness studio in Newcastle.

His company, Elite Fitness, also has a studio in Cramlington, Northumberland, and it plans to expand with a third gym in Stockton.

The business features an innovative six-week weight-loss programme which allows clients to get their money back if they lose 20lbs or more.

Paul has always had an interest in health and fitness and used to train his friends in his spare time when he worked in the pharmaceutical industry, but after 14 years at GlaxoSmithKline he decided to turn his passion in to a living.

He now has plans to open up three more fitness studios in the Liverpool and Manchester areas before the end of the year.

Paul, 39, said: “The backbone of our business is the Elite Transformation- a six-week programme where people follow our exercise, diet and social media plans and if they lose 20lbs or more during the process the programme is free.”

The Stockton gym is scheduled to open on Preston Farm Industrial Estate on Monday July 4.

Mr Alexander said: “Stockton has a problem with obesity and many takeaway shops, I felt the area would benefit from one of our centres.”