A Brighton inventor has found a product which could save lives and revolutionise the building industry.

Perlitec, a natural substance found in abundance across the globe, can dramatically slow down the spread of fire with none of the dangers of asbestos.

The product, invented more than 20 years ago in Brighton by Dennis Hacker, is also strong enough to be used in construction.

Mr Hacker, who now lives in the United States, has put his discovery in the hands of a group of Brighton businessmen to get Perlitec into use.

The trio, Dennis John, Jeff George-Sheppard and Danny Cusden, have been set the task of finding a business that can take up production.

Mr George-Sheppard said: "As far as Dennis Hacker is concerned, he is more interested in getting Perlitec on to the market than making his fortune.

"He holds a number of patents on the product and regards its life-saving capabilities as being too important to put in the hands of a multinational organisation which could have a monopoly and charge what it likes for it."

Technical expert Mr John said using panels of Perlitec to line escape corridors in hotels, offices and public buildings could save lives in the event of a fire.

He said: "It has been extensively tested in a range of situations and has out-performed asbestos.

It can withstand temperatures of more than 1,000F and the heat made it even stronger. This is a serious product that is easy to manufacture and easy to use.

"It can be manufactured in a cold-mix form and shaped into panels or blocks.

It is about half the weight of plasterboard, load-bearing and has excellent soundproofing qualities. It can also be used to insulate a house from the cold.

"No special manufact-uring processes are involved. Like the natural product it is made from, Perlitec is very simple.

"It has undergone tests stringent tests at an independent laboratory, including being made into a box which was then packed with documents and money and placed in a furnace for more than an hour without any damage to the contents."

According to inventor Mr Hacker, it could be used to construct a whole house. In some underdeveloped countries, it could help to alleviate the serious housing shortage with walls, floors and roofs all made from Perlitec.

The material is manufactured from a volcanic substance called perlite and so it is found in huge quantities, making it cheap.

It is a natural form of glass, formed by rapid cooling of molten rock which cracks under the stresses caused by temperature changes.

When treated, it expands to 20 times its original volume making it lightweight and ideal for insulation.

Mr John said: "Mr Hacker claims he has been offered millions for his invention but only by big corporations that want to sit on it.

To prove the heat-resistant qualities, he used himself as a guinea pig.

"With a blow-torch in one hand and a piece of Perlitec no bigger than a beer mat in the other with a 2p coin on it, he blasted the coin with the flame for four minutes until it melted. His hand wasn't harmed and neither was the Perlitec."

Mr John can be contacted at PO Box 2602, BN1 6TY.