A DURHAM man is hoping to revolutionise the second-hand car business by launching, what he believes is the country's first car fair.

The event is being organised by Trevor Lightburn, who runs an employment agency in Newcastle, and as well as the serious business of buying and selling cars, the fair will include a host of fun activities such as bungee jumping and carousel rides and face-painting to keep children amused.

The pilot autofair will take place at the Riverside Park in Chester-le-Street on Sunday, May 26, where people pay £20 to take their car, motorbike or caravan to a pitch and can stay until it's sold or swapped with other sellers.

Trevor said: "I've sold lots of cars and it's a pain. You have to dart round to someone's house at the end of the day to discover it's been sold, or sit around all day waiting for the phone to ring if you've put an advert in the paper.

"But this is people power. I'm saying to the public, 'this is your event, everything has been taken care of.'"

He added "I definitely wanted fun instead of drudgery and we will have things like bungee jumping and laser clay pigeon shooting.

"Eventually we hope to get a giant PlayStation game on screen. It's for whole families."

The system of buying and selling cars at the fair means that once the seller has accepted a deposit on their vehicle, they cannot accept offers from other people.

The AA and other car experts will be on hand to check the vehicles on request.

After the pilot scheme in Chester-le-Street, Trevor hopes to expand his autofairs to bigger venues around the country and even take the concept abroad.

The Chester-le-Street event runs from 11am to 5pm and sellers need to arrive between 8am and 9.30am.

Pitches can be paid for on the day, or pre-booked by ringing (0191) 2610469.