AT the age of six-months he became the youngest victim of the Manchester IRA bombing.

And after Manchester City Centre was rebuilt following the devastation in 1996, Sam Hughes was invited to open the flagship Marks and Spencer store at the age of three in Superman pyjamas, he chose from the store.

Today, at the age of 23-year-old, from Worsley, is celebrating opening his own business in Market Place Bolton, and although not wearing a superhero costume, his interest in comic books, as well as sci-fi is reflected in his merchandise, which includes T-shirts and accessories, made up of original designs and official branded merchandise

Sam has opened the first Friking brand store in the UK, aimed at the pop, geek, gaming, anime culture.

The concept is hugely popular in Europe and Sam will be in charge of the franchise over here.

He said: "After doing our research we decided that Market Place was the place to be. I found many of the other areas around Manchester just didn’t have the same vibe and atmosphere you get in Bolton. Everyone is so friendly and there is a real sense of community. I also adore the architecture of the centre, it’s just such a fabulous building and The Vaults are just incredible.

"I has wanted to open a store in Spain, where they have 150 stores, but was told they had none in the UK, and was asked to open one over here."

Sam graduated in business at the University of Manchester, so as well as having a mind for business, and as a self-confessed geek he has a thorough understanding of the goods he sells which is can pass on to other fans.

"Customers interested in this love the brand and we just want people to know we are here, " said Sam, who also has an online presence.

Sam's ambitions include Friking to become the leading retailer in the UK for geek merchandise and clothing within the next 10 years.

The store has opened in the Project KISS unit which supports local and community based retailers starting their business. Market Place provides the ‘ready to go’ environment for three to four operators to trade from, in one location, offering a solid base from which to grow. Friking sits alongside Roscoe’s Cakes in the Project KISS unit currently, with more independents due to open in the unit early next year.