Mark Alterman hated his garden shed so much he took a leaf out of Victor Kiam's book and bought the company.

In a twist on the late Remington owner's shaver adverts, Mr Alterman was so angry when his new shed started falling apart he decided to put his money where his mouth was.

He put in a successful offer to the owner of the shed company, quit his job as a property developer in London and set about making better quality products.

Eighteen months later he has a thriving business in Peacehaven making sheds which are more expensive but, he says, will last a couple of decades.

Mr Alterman, 43, said: "The situation is a bit like the guy from the Remington ads who loved the shaver so much he bought the company, except I didn't do it because I liked the product - I was driven to it because I was so angry at the product."

Mr Alterman moved to Rottingdean from London 18 months ago with his wife Cheryl, 43, and their children Zakary, 16, and Jade, 12.

Keen to put their mark on their new home, they paid £185 for a shed for Jade's rabbit Rex from a company called Top Quality Sheds in Peacehaven.

But the wooden 7ft by 5ft shed soon began to fall apart.

Mrs Alterman said: "It's built like a house of cards. It's already on its third roof and we haven't even had it for two years. We keep repairing it but it's just ridiculous."

Mr Alterman, a former carpenter, was tired of the commute to London and decided enough was enough.

When he heard the shed company was up for sale he put in an offer.

He launched his business under the name Sussex Quality Sheds and says he uses better quality timber, often selling sheds made to order.

He said: "Before, the company was making cheap sheds for the mass market. But people don't realise that for an extra £20 you can get a shed that will last between 20 and 25 years - not a few months.

"We make good quality products and we don't cut corners."

As well as garden sheds, Mr Alterman has provided custom-made insulated sheds for animal charity East Sussex Wildlife Rescue Ambulance Service to house animals such as badgers and squirrels.

He has also built offices for Shoreham Airshow.

As for his own garden, the original shed is still standing but Mr Alterman recently put up a new one next to it.

He said: "At the moment there are family discussions about who is going to use the new shed - the rabbit or me. I'll have to fight my corner.

"There's something about a man and his shed. It's just our own space where we can do what we like.

"I've been learning the saxophone since January so I think it would be the ideal place to practice."