Inventor Chris Bean has won a holiday after creating a world record-breaking solar-powered robot.

He and his wife Carole will be jetting off to Australia after winning a top prize in an Olympic Games for robots.

Mr Bean, 41, of Honey Croft, Hove, designed his solar-powered robot Phoebius, which was the quickest in a series of time trials for BBC Two show Techno Games.

The robot, 25cm wide and 55cm long, covered 20m in 4.25 seconds, ahead of 70 other competitors.

The victory, which created a new record, was a satisfying triumph for Mr Bean after an earlier prototype of his managed fifth last year.

The prize is a few weeks' holiday in Australia, visiting Darwin and Adelaide.

He had been a keen viewer of previous Techno Games and Robot Wars series on television.

He decided to take part himself after being unimpressed by the measly machines on display.

Mr Bean, an engineer, said: "I thought I could do better than that so I did. A lot of people think that but don't do anything. I would encourage them to give it a go.

"I tend to do the work in fits and starts but once I have built up a momentum, it can take me all weekend and a few hours every night. Winning made all the effort worthwhile.

"It was mainly made out of cardboard and double-sided sticky tape. The wheels were CD covers and the electronics were bits I had lying around. All my robot work is done at home on the dining room table."

He now intends to create a robot which can take part in the cycling challenge in next year's Techno Games.

Other events in this year's tournament, which attracted 600 entrants, included robot sumo wrestling, football, shotput and the high jump.

Ian Watts, of Madehurst Close, Brighton, invented robots which won gold medals in the football and rugby ball-kicking events.