A NORTH-EAST inventor has created a device to give Britain's Olympic swimmers the edge over their rivals.

Joseph Colannino, from Norton, near Stockton, has revolutionised the swimming float and his invention has been tested by British Olympic swimmers.

The float makes swimmers work harder and helps build strength, rather than just acting as a buoyancy aid.

Mr Colannino, 25, came up with the idea while studying product design and development at Salford University.

By coincidence, the British Olympic swimming team were at a pool in Manchester for the Commonwealth Games, so he decided to ask if they would try it out.

Both swimmers and coaches did, and gave him positive feedback and advice, which he has implemented in the final design.

Mr Colannino has submitted his design to this year's Spirit of Innovation Awards, organised by the North-East Business and Innovation Centre.

The ex-Middlesbrough Amateur Club swimmer said: "No one else has come up with anything similar to this. It turns the idea of the original buoyancy aid on its head, so it makes swimmers work harder and helps them to build leg, shoulder and stomach muscles."

Mr Colannino, an architect technician, is to approach companies to manufacture the float.