A truck driver is hoping his space-saving invention will enable him to buy vital equipment for his sick stepson.

Bright spark Derry Dunnett, of Pickering, hopes his idea could help stepson Oliver lead a normal life.

Oliver was struck down by a stroke two years ago, from which he is slowly recovering.

"As a truck driver I spend a lot of time on the road and spending that amount of time in a cramped cab can get quite awkward," said Mr Dunnett who lives in Pickering with his family.

"I came up with this idea for a wooden space saver, went and built it and started using it.

"I had no idea it might be a useful invention until I showed it to a few trucker friends of mine.

"They asked me if I would build and sell them some of my space savers so I did. I then decided it might be useful for others too."

Derry's step-son Oliver, now 12, had suffered a stoke at the age of ten and Mr Dunnett decided he might be able to use money from his invention to buy him some equipment.

"We wanted to put a chairlift in the house and other aids for Oliver so I started looking at ways to market my invention," he said.

Mr Dunnett spotted an advert by a company which promoted inventions in a national newspaper and rang them straightaway. Unfortunately, the company proved bogus and was closed down by the Department of Trade and Industry soon after Mr Dunnett had given the company £5,000 to promote his idea.

Now Mr Dunnett is appealing to Evening Press readers for advice on how to promote his idea.

We have chosen not to publish details of Mr Dunnett's device in case an unscrupulous "cowboy" steals the idea.

"I've had my fingers burnt so I am wary of people wanting to promote my idea," he said.

"I just thought someone locally out there might be able to give me some proper advice on how to sell my idea or maybe there is someone who can genuinely promote it for me."

Updated: 10:53 Monday, May 21, 2001