Runaway wheelie bins could be a thing of the past thanks to a bright idea brought to reality by a Keighley firm.

Plastics firm Fourfold Moldings has developed the new product designed to keep the bins safely under lock and key.

And the Silsden business is hoping there could be a huge potential market for the invention, which has been registered and is awaiting a patent.

The 'Binlock', made from moulded plastic and stainless steel, attaches to a wall and holds a standard 240-litre wheeled bin locked in place.

The invention prevents the bin from being stolen or blown over and protects it from vandalism.

It was officially launched at a Chartered Institute of Waste Management show, where it attracted interest from a range of customers, including councils, bin manufacturers, and waste management firms. And it is already proving a hit with householders.

Managing director Martin Wilson said the business, which employs around 50 staff and has a turnover of about £3 million, spent 12 months developing the product.

Mr Wilson said it was the only one of its kind on the market and, with a potential production capacity of 12,500 per week, the firm is confident it will take off.

He said: "Everybody that we have shown the product to has said the same thing: What a great idea.

"At some point, everybody has seen their wheelie bin blown over and this invention puts an end to that."

He said wheeled bins had been banned in some areas, such as the Shetland Isles, due to the problem of high winds.

And, in Malta, a new law has been passed making it an offence not to keep the bin under lock and key.