A mishap with a take-away turned pilot Mark Tuppen into an inventor - and his creation could curry favour with fans of Indian food.

He was on his way home with a takeaway curry in his car's passenger footwell when it started to slide as he approached a roundabout.

He said: "I was faced with a choice, save the car or save the curry. Obviously the car won but it made me think about finding a simple and safe way of transporting a takeaway curry.

"The carpets in the car were ruined and it took me a long time to get them clean and get rid of the smell of the curry.

"So I decided to tackle the problem of transporting hot food, not just for my own benefit but for every one who is faced with the problem of keeping the containers upright while driving round sharp corners.

"I live six miles from the nearest takeaway curry restaurant and walking there was out of the question, so it had to be something to place in the car.

"Like so many good ideas this one is simple and inexpensive.

"It is not going to make a hole in anyone's pockets if they buy one but I see it more as a marketing tool for businesses related to the takeaway food market.

"They can have their logos printed on the sides and even give the CurrySafe away to customers.

"There is nothing complicated about the device. It is made entirely of bio-degradable materials and can be used over and over again."

This month, Mark is launching his patented CurrySafe on to the market. Early trials show it could be a big hit transporting the nation's favourite food.

Mark said: "The feedback is really positive. It has been called the hottest thing since vindaloo and described as one of the world's great inventions.

"It has been fully tested and I can honestly say, since I've been using it, I haven't spilled a drop.

"The car industry itself is starting to address the problem of stabilising takeaway food with the introduction of the Curry Hook in the latest Range Rover Discovery and certain Vauxhalls.

"So you can either buy a £25,000 Discovery or a CurrySafe.

"I'm now launching it on the world and I'm looking for businesses to back the idea and get it on the market.

"CurrySafe will reach a market that is predominantly ABC1, a market that enjoys an above- average lifestyle and has a good to high level of disposable income - it is a marketing professional's dream."

www.currysafe.com