INVENTOR Paul Martin has come up with a rubbish idea which, he hopes, York householders will stick straight in the bin.

The latest invention dreamed up by the 46-year-old former Bootham School guitar teacher, is Linerglide, a clever device which removes the extra time and effort needed to empty packed household bins.

He said: "Linerglide could take the stress out of York's recent change to fortnightly waste collection, helping householders manage their waste more effectively."

Now he and his business partner, York resident Bryan Hayden, have invested £80,000 in inventing the manufacturing tools and setting up a factory in Leeds and have begun marketing the product for £4.95 at Lakeland catalogue company stores. They have also started talks with local authorities.

The idea, which Paul believes could potentially generate sales of £84 million, came to Paul in the winter of 2003 while he was trying to remove a full, and therefore stuck, refuse bag from his bin. As he applied more pressure, the bag would not move until it split under the strain and rubbish poured out over his kitchen floor.

His patent pending Linerglide product consists of a set of corrugated panels that once attached to the inside of a bin, prevent the vacuum effect which can trap full waste bags ensuring a smooth removal every time.

It is the product of two years of extensive research, which Paul admits meant his spending large parts of the day with his head stuck in a bin.

He said: "Our research showed that for a bin to give up its load painlessly it needs an amount of air equal to the size of the stuffed liner.

"With its unique ventilation system, Linerglide achieves this.

"The gadget lets air in and ensures that full liners glide out easily every time".

Paul claims his product also has environmental advantages.

He said: "With Linerglide people are able to use thinner, more biodegradable refuse sacks and crush more rubbish into their bins.

"Compacted rubbish not only smells less but also means there will be fewer bags left on the street on collection day for pests to rip open".

Paul's belief in his invention was confirmed when independent consumer research revealed that two thirds of people questioned would buy Linerglide and with 25 million households in Britain, that is a lot of bins to go for. The product, which is available online at www.linerglide.com, has also sparked interest from a number of supermarket chains.

Paul said: "I became an inventor about eight years ago, creating pens for musicians that wrote simultaneous staves on music sheets, but that was very much a niche market.

"My new invention will be needed by everybody."

Updated: 11:01 Thursday, December 01, 2005