A KITE enthusiast has started a business that could see a kite museum opened in County Durham.

Malcolm Goodman, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, has started a business that offers corporate kite-making sessions. He was made redundant from British Steel, now Corus, four years ago after spending more than 40 years as an electronic engineer.

A world authority on Chinese and Japanese kites, for the past 14 years, Mr Goodman has also been behind a kite festival in Sunderland.

He said: "I have been involved in kites for over 30 years and have taken part and organised festivals in many far-flung places, from Iceland to the Canary Islands.

"I realised this knowledge could be the basis of a business. It is nice to turn something that has been a hobby for so long into my living."

Mr Goodman has also bought a former bed and breakfast hotel in his home town, which he hopes to live in and eventually convert into a kite museum to house his 1,000 kites - one of the world's largest collections.

But he said: "There's a lot of work to be done before that happens."

Mr Goodman took part in regional development agency One NorthEast's enterprise island scheme in April, which supported 20 people setting up companies.

Kate Macnaught, of One NorthEast, said: "Malcolm's story is an excellent example of how, with the right level of support and advice and in the right setting, people from all walks of life can be encouraged to develop their own businesses."

Mr Goodman's website is at www.kiteman.co.uk