FANCY being soaped down by a group of burly blokes?

Well a new back-to-basics car-washing business in York could make that dream a reality.

The team at Mister Sparkles in Foss Islands Road are not afraid to muck in and get their hands dirty. In fact their hands-on approach to car washing has already proved popular with motorists in the city and cars have been queuing up to take advantage of their handwash service.

Owner Steve Nichols hopes that once motorists experience Mr Sparkles, automatic car washes will become a thing of the past.

"There is no comparison between what we do and an automatic car wash. Automatic car washes can scratch your car and miss bits. We offer a far more personal service," he said.

He has long wanted to start a car washing service in York because he felt there was a real demand for it in the city. But it has taken him four years of searching to find the right site.

Now the business has got started, it has proved so successful that this week it is expanding to include a mini-valeting service, which will involve cleaning the interior of vehicles as well as the exterior.

Updated: 15:59 Monday, December 01, 2003