A businessman who was so frustrated he couldn't find Chinese furniture for his new home has set up his own firm to import it from the Far East.

Former marketing manager James Cottrell, 34, decided to set up his own web-based business after being made redundant by a major insurance firm.

And he was convinced there was a market for luxurious oriental furniture in the UK after he and his wife struggled to find such products when they were furnishing their new home.

Mr Cottrell said today the business, called Shimu, was already attracting customers from around the UK and beyond.

He first became interested in Chinese furniture while living in Hong Kong until about 12 months ago.

"When I returned to the UK with my wife, we brought back some really beautiful pieces with us and began to look for more in this country." he said. "We came across several companies that sold Chinese antiques but found it very difficult to track down new furniture that made use of the traditional materials and designs that we had seen in China.

"That was the inspiration for Shimu and our aim now is to make these beautiful pieces more easily accessible and affordable for people in the UK."

Mr Cottrell returned to China where he identified a number of suppliers to produce the furniture which is traditional in design and is hand-crafted.

The goods, including classic reproductions from the Ming Dynasty period, are shipped to England and marketed by Mr Cottrell through the website from his home in Back Lane, Guiseley.

"It is going very well so far," he said. "Obviously, it is very different from anything that I have done before, but it is nice to be involved in a new business start-up.

"It is nice to be involved with every side of the business, from the financial side to the importing, to dealing with the customers."

He said there were plans to expand the business into mail order and possibly open premises if the demand continued to grow.

"It has been a good first few months, and we have had a lot of inquiries from all over, including a lot from London," he said. "We are one of very few businesses specialising in this field."