A BLACKROD man has invented a new product to keep car boots clean.

Tim Valentine had the same problem that many people have when they transport dirty items in the their car boot - and decided to do something about it.

He said: "There are products on the market, usually moulded rubber or synthetic, but they are very expensive and if you do not want them in the vehicle all the time, they are almost impossible to store."

Mr Valentine, a design engineer who has worked in Germany for BMW and Mercedes for eight years, was unimpressed with what was on offer.

"I thought that there had to be a more affordable and practical solution.

"There wasn't, so I designed it myself." The solution that Mr Valentine came up with is a single sheet of waterproof material that can be formed into an open container which can carry anything from sand and cement to water.

"Fold and fasten it when you need it, then unfold and hang it on the wall when you don't," he said.

"Because it's completely waterproof, you can wash it off and it will drip dry where it hangs."

Mr Valentine has set up a website - www.bootsuit.co.uk - to sell his "Bootsuit" which will fit dozens of different cars. "It is a functional, no-nonsense and competitively priced solution to transporting the things we would rather not have in our cars," he added.