Skilled glassblower Darren West is making his mark on the High Street.

Darren, one of the few qualified neon sign-makers in the UK, is hoping his latest designs will catch the eye of shop owners across the country.

Although he is fully skilled in the craft of making the brightly-coloured displays, Darren has started his own business importing the signs after finding a reliable source in the Far East.

Darren said: "At the moment there is not enough business to warrant setting up a workshop. But when it comes to the more un-usual designs I should be able to use my skills."

Darren has trained with some of the best craftsmen and at the British School of Neon.

Called iCatcher, his new company is based in Lancing. At the moment, it is limiting its range to a basic few signs that can be bought off-the-shelf and plugged in, with-out the complicated electronics associated with neon signs.

He said: "Every business wants to let the public know that it is open and naturally signs that say 'Open' are the most popular.

"I've been in the sign industry for more than ten years and learned the trade from glass-blowing and all other aspects of neon sign-work including art-work and design, right through to installation.

"Neon signs are so much more reliable these days than in the past. Modern electrics and transformers mean you won't get any of the letters blacking out and leaving you with signs that make no sense or flicker annoyingly.

"In the past, neon signs have been expensive to manufacture because they have to be made to order and it is still a skill that cannot be reproduced by computers and robots.

"I could see there was an opening in the sign market for ready-made, off-the-shelf neon signs.

"By importing a supply of ready-made neon signs from over-seas, I could market the product at a more affordable price, making it available not only to the larger chain companies but to the smaller independents."

Darren can be contacted on 01903 600099 or his email: dwest@neonsigns.

fsbusiness.co.uk.