An innovative piece of equipment which was dreamt up by a Bradford businessman has lifted the lid on a whole new market place.

The Trashbasher, which was the brainchild of Tim Illingworth, co-founder of Bradford-based Pure PR, has seen a boost in sales after 500 units were ordered in Holland.

The lightweight metal-framed invention, which was designed to improve the way we get rid of rubbish by compacting refuse within conventional wheelie bins, is already selling well in the UK.

But, the recent order from a retailing group based in Amsterdam took Mr Illingworth by surprise.

He explained: "Trashbasher is proving very popular across the UK and we are already looking at expansion but we were surprised to hear that its reputation has stretched as far as the Netherlands and will be following developments on the continent with great interest.

"The invention is being taken up by garden centres and DIY retail outlets after a concerted marketing campaign but we were not expecting to receive such an order just two months after the product was launched."

The Trashbasher is the only hand-held trash compactor on the market aimed at the estimated ten million households across the UK that use wheelie bins.

Mr Illingworth added: "It transpires that Dutch wheelie bins are fitted with a micro chip to record and charge for the number of times the bin is emptied, therefore a good way of reducing that cost to the customer is by using a Trashbasher."

The invention also helps reduce the amount of rubbish bags on the street, as more rubbish can be squashed in a bin - helping reduce the risk of wild scavengers ripping apart refuse bags.

Mr Illingworth explained: "It's a very simple idea and came about after I got fed up with having to leave bin bags lying on the pavement or leaving the wheelie bid lid wide open.

"They were frequently opened by foxes. The Trashbasher ensures all your rubbish remains in the wheelie bin and it is easy to see the environmental impact of such an invention."

The device also aims to counter the Chancellor's plans of introducing a tax on extra bags left outside wheelie bins.

"The Trashbasher works just as effectively with recycled waste and we are fully behind moves to reduce the amount we send to landfill as well as litter which blights our streets," said Mr Illingworth.