Market Rasen man invents Beach Bag which transforms into inflatable bed

SUMMER days may seem a long way away but this inventor has come up with an award-winning invention to help you make the most of them.

For father-of-two Andrew Morrison, the inspiration for his Beach Bag Plus goes back decades to family holidays abroad.

His frustration with lilos, loungers, countless bags of personal possessions and wet clothing led the Market Rasen man to come up with his own device to transform the seaside experience.

But for years it lay dormant due to family and work commitments.

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Finally, after his children Claire and James were all grown up, he spent three months in his garage to come up with the patented product.

And it has now won him the British Inventors' Society's 2012 platinum award in the leisure product category.

Beach Bag Plus is a holdall which unfolds to reveal two PVC liners.

They allow the bag to be converted into an inflatable bed for use on the beach, picnics or as an emergency camp bed.

The 55-year-old said: "With a background in the packaging industry I just found family holidays to hot countries so frustrating because there's so much to carry to either the beach or pool.

"It was just an idea 15 years ago, so I've only been working on the development and manufacture of this complete product for just over a year. But I do wish I'd managed it 25 years ago when my children were smaller.

"We took four of the bags to Crete during the summer and they created a great deal of interest among the other holidaymakers.

"They all wanted to know where you could buy them, so it's good that I've got interest in this country already and some in Florida."

Mr Morrison will be selling the bag online for £49. The design also allows for the bag to be folded, with a liner partially inflated, into a cool bag.

And when opened out it has pockets and fittings to keep MP3 and other music players, along with keeping mobile phones safe and clean.

Mr Morrison has also applied for a patent for the valve used to inflate and seal the liners. The bed can be inflated or deflated in seconds and folded completely flat for storage.

Wife Karen said: "He's had the idea in his head for years. The next thing we knew he'd taken himself off to his garage and spent three months producing the bag and it's great."

Mr Morrison received the award after judging took place during the British Invention Show at The Barbican, in London.

He is already working on his second invention – a rucksack with a built-in inflatable bed and seat.

To bag your own Beach Bag Plus, visit www.beachbagplus.com or call 01673 843856.