IT was no laughing matter when Tim Clarke lost his job at Terry's.

He was among hundreds of workers at the world-famous York chocolate factory who got their marching orders when its closure was announced last year.

But instead of kicking his heels on the dole, Tim raised a smile in the face of adversity.

The 36-year-old decided to make his name in the fiercely competitive world of stand-up comedy.

And if anyone doubted the wisdom of his rare career move, the former Terry's warehouse worker is well on the way to having the last laugh.

Forget the Toblerones and Chocolate Oranges he used to ship out of York - Tim is now dreaming of the sweet taste of comedy success.

That's because the funnyman's performance in the newcomer slot at the City Screen Comedy Club in May went down a storm.

"It was fantastic," said Copmanthorpe resident Tim, whose first day of unemployment from Terry's was yesterday.

"After my set, parts of the audience were chanting: 'More Tim, more Tim'."

He added: "Like most people, I'm sad to see the demise of Terry's and there hasn't been much to laugh about recently.

"But redundancy can do funny things to you. I'm not sure if my comedy will bring in enough money to pay the mortgage, but the reception I got at the club has given me confidence for the future."

Former RAF storage man Tim hit upon the idea of a comedy career after making people laugh at work.

He worked in a 100,000 sq ft warehouse packed with chocolate, and while he helped control factory deliveries he could not help making workmates giggle with tales of everyday life.

"After a weekend I told them what I'd got up to and they would laugh," recalled Tim.

"I'd even make my wife, Gill, laugh.

"She pushed me into it and said I was as good as people on television." But it might be a while before Tim's act makes the leap from smoky comedy clubs to daytime TV. The main part of his act is about him having a vasectomy.

But the qualified hypnotherapist, who has changed his stage surname to Riley because of another Tim Clarke working in the trade, is starting right at the bottom of the laughter ladder.

He has recently approached major comedy clubs in the area with a view to securing some unpaid gigs.

Tim is confident he can transfix audiences with his jokes - and make the huge jump from the factory floor to the stand-up stage a more than serious prospect.

Dan Atkinson, who comperes the York comedy club, said: "It's a good idea to go into comedy, especially if you've been made redundant.

"As a self-employed chap, it's much harder to get fired. That takes a special kind of self-loathing.

"I think that Tim's brand of homespun stories and cosy observations will be a

big hit in all the clubs."

Updated: 11:56 Saturday, July 02, 2005