AN entrepreneur is hoping to make his fortune after drawing inspiration from the National Lottery.

Len Preston designed a picture frame with a difference, using the National Lottery draw machines used by Camelot.

The managing director of Team Valley Picture Frames, at Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, is hoping the innovation will impress the judges at the Spirit of Innovation awards.

Organised by the North-East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) the awards celebrate unique ideas, which could, or already have, achieved commercial success.

Inspired by the shape of the lottery machines, Mr Preston created a picture frame that allows footballs, rugby balls, boxing gloves and even football boots to be framed and hung on walls in the same way that sports shirts are displayed.

He said: "In the past, we framed footballs and other sporting memorabilia in large wooden boxes that could not hang on the wall and had to be displayed on a table or sideboard. These frames took up a lot of room and were quite difficult to move around.

"When I saw the dome-shaped Lottery machine, I began to wonder if there was a way that this could be adapted for use within a frame.

For details, or an entry form for the awards, call 0191-516 6045. The deadline for entries is July 31.