POTTER Baldwin Jerome hopes his bright idea of illuminated door numbers will prove to be a money spinner.

He came up with the idea when he got fed-up of not being able to find house numbers in the dark.

Mr Jerome, 57, of Baker Street, Oakes, said: "I went to visit friends a couple of years ago and had difficulty finding their house number in the dark.

"I am a potter by trade so decided to make the lights out of ceramic clay. I fire them in my own kiln which is at my daughter's home and my wife Jenny, decorates them."

The numbers are on a ceramic panel, which can incorporate a picture, and is back-lit by a bulb.

They will be a great help to doctors, police, and other workers who have to make home visits in the dark.

Mr Jerome came to England in 1964 from his home in Carriacou, West Indies.

He trained in ceramics at Leeds College of Art but has also worked in the textile industry and light engineering while living in England.

He decided to try out his entrepreneurial skills after being made redundant from his job as a handyman at a Barnsley firm.

Mr Jerome returned to Carriacou in 1994 and made ceramics for the tourist industry. The couple returned to England in 1999 when Mrs Jerome's mother became ill.

The couple, who have two children and two grandchildren, have patented the design and now hope a manufacturer will take up their idea and produce the lights.The lights are priced at £29.99. Anyone interested should contact Mr Jerome on 01484 349385.