EVER been away from home and had nowhere to store your toothbrush?If the answer is yes, then a man from Worlingham may just have the answer.Richard Skoulding, of Orchard Rise, has invented a portable toothbrush sanitizing unit which safeguards your toothbrush from external contaminants such as bacteria and viruses.

EVER been away from home and had nowhere to store your toothbrush?

If the answer is yes, then a man from Worlingham may just have the answer.

Richard Skoulding, of Orchard Rise, has invented a portable toothbrush sanitizing unit which safeguards your toothbrush from external contaminants such as bacteria and viruses.

The “Hygenetica” stores the toothbrush in sanitizing fluid and also jets the fluid through the brush filaments to remove debris.

“It's a way of protecting your toothbrush when you go on holiday,” he explained. “It can fit in your pocket or handbag. You could use it at a festival, or if you have a meeting you may want to have your best breath.”

He added that it could also be used to store your toothbrush in your bathroom.

The Hygenetica has yet to be patented, but Mr Skoulding has already sold a few and given away many samples that are currently being used by a variety of people including Royal Anglian troops in Afghanistan and truckers.

He has entered his invention into Barclay's One Small Step competition, which offers �50,000 to the best business idea. You can show your support for the Hygenetica at www.takeonesma llstep.co.uk/Entry/View/2706.

“I think it will become a business because there's an awful lot of interest in it,” he said.

Mr Skoulding came up with the idea while on holiday. “I was in Crete and I had some flies on my toothbrush and thought that's not very good, so I designed it,” he said.

Mr Skoulding, 63, currently works at Spectrum in Halesworth, but hopes to concentrate on his new venture during his retirement.

He has previously had one of his inventions patented, a mechanism for sea angling casting in the 1980s.