A NORTH Yorkshire teenager's design for a special powered kiddy-car for youngsters with restricted mobility has been launched on the market.

Louise Elliott, a 19-year student at St Aidan's and St John's Associated Sixth Form in Harrogate, dreamed up the idea as her project for a design and technology A-level.

Her inspiration for an off-the-road Cyber Bug was her young cousin, Nadia, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

The battery-powered Cyber Bug design won the YORTEK 2000 School's Award and Keith Hyde, the then chairman of YORTEK, the association of high-tech companies in North and North Yorkshire, was so impressed that he set the production wheels in motion.

Louise said: "As a society we are spoiled for choice in what we have. There's so much out there for us. But it's different for those with restricted mobility.

"Nadia had tried lots of different vehicles and they're just not aimed at young people - they're ugly, clinical and boringly functional. Nadia may have cerebral palsy but she's a typical nine-year-old - she wants to have fun with her friends. She likes bright colours and she wants to be independent. That was in my mind when I came up with the idea."

Mr Hyde said: "It instantly struck me as a fabulous idea which should be developed further. Our aims were to turn that concept into a reality, to meet a real need in the market with a product that could improve the quality of life for less able young people"

The result was that he became chairman of a new company, 1st By Design, with Louise as a director and managing director Roger Barnes working closely with the inventor.

Now the market has been researched, the design fine-tuned and the car is rolling off the production lines, with an expected price of £3,500. Up to 250 are expected to be manufactured each year and will be available at specialist retailers

And guess who was among the first to test out the vehicle which has a top speed of four miles per hour and can climb one-in-six slopes? Nadia, of course!

The Cyber Bug is aimed at children aged six to 16. Each vehicle will be individually customised with transfers and personalised name badges. It is operated independently by the young driver using a joystick, and has remote control electronics which allow the parent or carer a safety over-ride system.

Updated: 09:20 Tuesday, March 19, 2002