SHOPS on wheels could be the future when high streets are gone according to one Darlington businesswoman.

Gill Cartwright, founder and owner of Little Coffee Van, has been selling hot drinks from the back of a classic Piaggio van since 2011 and believes her business model could represent the future.

She said: “The way things are looking on the high street I really believe we will see people taking their business to the customer in the future, rather than the other way around.

“I saw on the news the other day how much shops are struggling and I think this could be an alternative for some of them.”

Mrs Cartwright started the company with her daughter Lauren and husband Mike after buying the signature van from an acquaintance who ran the Doctor Coffee shop in Darlington. Now she is thinking of expanding and taking on her first full-time staff.

She added: “At the end of the season, around October, we’re thinking about buying another vehicle.

“We’ve looked at a Land Rover that has had the back seats removed and a coffee machine and grill installed with special lift-up sides. It would mean we could do hot food for the first time and we’d need to take on at least two full-time staff.”

Mrs Cartwright has also opened an online store selling over 20 different flavours of roast coffee bean, including malt whiskey, raspberry and chocolate, and even Christmas pudding.

“It’s good for us because we can run the whole thing from a dedicated room in our house without having to rent a shop.”

She has also been working hard to develop a healthy range of snacks and drinks after signing a contract with Cancer Research UK to cater their Race for Life events in the North East and Yorkshire. The new products include cereal bars, fruit teas and ‘skinny’ non-fat coffees.