An inventor is set to become a millionaire after proving that where there is mucky footwear there's brass.

The world is now beating a path to the Malton door of businessman Roddy Hall, 40, whose sudden brainwave Mudbuster invention is set to make him and his partner Tim Pickard, 43, millionaires within a year.

The tailor-made plastic and rubber wipe-your-feet gadget which retails at a recommended £19.99 will soon be stocked by B&Q DIY stores nationally as well as supermarkets and garden centres; and agents are clamouring to sell Mudbusters in Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Middle East and throughout Europe.

Crucial talks were taking place in Philadelphia today to feature the portable device on the US Home shopping Channel, exposing it daily to millions of American consumers.

And similar negotiations have been taking place this month with QVC, the equivalent British home shopping television channel.

"I can't believe the level of response," said Mr Hall, who with his old Askham Bryan College chum, Tim, risked everything to start Urchin Ltd, the manufacturing company in Town Street, Old Malton, last October.

"We reckon that we will produce 300,000 units over 12 months to meet demand. At this rate we'll be millionaires within a year while the sales potential runs into tens of millions of pounds. There are no barriers," he said.

Mr Hall struck on the idea for a shoe and boot cleaner when the phone rang indoors while he was outside his house shod in muddy trainers.

And with the same talents he used to design and successfully market BrightNights, children's plug-in lights, in a Wetherby business that he and his father, Roderick, have just sold, he crafted the shape of Mudbusters.

"The concept is a portable puddle with spiky rubber projections strategically placed," he explained.

The invention received instant backing from Lombard Finance of Clifton Moor, from Yorkshire Bank and others prepared to act as guarantors.

The result was that he spent £50,000 on development costs and another £50,000 for a dedicated plastic injection machine which is being used in the manufacturing process at a factory in Barnstaple, Devon.

Tim said: "We had to make a go of it because apart from risking my house in Old Malton as collateral, we were in danger of being lumbered with a two-ton jellymould worth a little more than scrap!"

But they need not have worried. Mass orders have been taken by Gibbs Palmer, the giant wholesalers to gardening centres; and by Homewares, which supplies supermarkets like Asda and Morrissons as well as department stores, cash and carry outlets and caravan accessory shops.

Two major mail order brochures have expressed interest and B&Q will supply 28 of its warehouse stores with Mudbusters next autumn.

It has already found local stockists such as Seward Agricultural Machinery Ltd, in its country store at Wilberfoss; Yates Garden Centre, Malton, and Dodsworth Carpets, Malton.

The two men dealt with queues of inquiries from would-be stockists and agents at the GLEE garden exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham, and at Ambient 98, the houseware exhibition in Frankfurt in February.

See COMMENT Muddy great idea

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