I'm more Agent 003-and-a-half than 007. And all I'm licensed for is to drive a car, moped, and a ride-on lawnmower.

But I had my orders - I was to find Q, aka Nadim Batt, to check out the latest spying equipment.

And so began every schoolboy's - and grown man's - dream: the chance to get my hands on the kind of gadgets that until now I've only seen in James Bond movies.

Covert visual and audio recording equipment, watches that take pictures and bug detecting gizmos are all part of a normal day's work for Nadim.

The Bradford businessman, pictured, sells the James Bond-style goodies at Bombay Stores, Shearbridge Road, and at Premier Legal Services in Leeds Road, Bradford.

Nadim's passion for surveillance was sparked by his father's interest in electronics.

And after a trip to South Korea in 1999 Nadim got the bug to make surveillance his career. "They had the smallest telephone in the world there, and they gave me the rights to sell it in the UK," he said.

Since his initial success with the phone, Nadim has branched out to supplying a range of security equipment including night vision telescopes, digital audio recording pens and remote surveillance systems.

Nadim, known as Inspector Gadget to his friends, said people are buying equipment to make themselves feel safe.

"People want peace of mind. What's happened is that we've got a lot of interest in personal protection," he said. "We sell a lot of anti-rape alarms and lap-top alarms."

Nadim is careful about who he sells the equipment to.

"We would be very careful to find out that our equipment is not going to be used by criminals," he said. "But people have a right to be able to protect their privacy. If there is nothing to hide, there's no problem."

The type of equipment on sale is not that far removed from gadgets seen in James Bond movies. "In Dr No, James Bond sweeps every room he goes into with a bug detector, and that piece of equipment is still selling strong," said Nadim.

But there is a lighter side to his profession. "I supply magicians and stage acts. Some are really not mind readers - they are using my devices to be fed information from someone in the audience."

And so another schoolboy illusion is shattered. But at least I got the chance to wear a wrist-watch camera and dress up as James Bond for the afternoon.