A FACTORY worker facing the sack from Black & Decker is looking forward to a bright future thanks to a clever business idea.

When the company announced 950 jobs were to be lost at its Spennymoor plant, including Trevor Woods' position as a production operator, he took it as the push he needed to work for himself.

He and wife Susan, who live in the town, had talked about running their own business for years but had struggled for the right idea.

The prospect of unemployment led them to think about a business they would find interesting and could be profitable.

They had both rented sun beds in the past but felt the quality never matched that of a tanning salon and so found a firm that manufactured commercial quality beds that could be rented out.

Mr Woods, 34, who established Heatwave Sunbeds, said: "We found a company in this country that makes very efficient sun beds and verticals, so used our savings to buy ten beds and a van to deliver them to people's homes.

"In just two months, things have gone so well that we have bought eight more beds, six vertical tanners and are able to buy in bulk so sell them cheaper than anywhere else in the area.

"I even worked on Christmas Day as I delivered a bed to a house where it was bought as a gift. I'll invest my redundancy money into the business when my job goes so we can expand.

"Redundancy isn't all doom and gloom, it just requires some broad-minded thinking and commitment."

Heatwave Sunbeds can be contacted on (01388) 810142.