A Sussex entrepreneur is behind one of the fastest growing trading sites on the web.

Mark Tuppen, from East Grinstead, set up The People's Web in April last year in between shifts as a pilot for Crawley-based First Choice Airways.

It is an online trading store where anyone can sell products or services for a flat fee ranging from £5 a year for individuals to £150 for large firms.

The site already has 40,000 members and more than a million items have been sold so far, including holiday accommodation, cars, houses, plumbing services and general goods.

Mark set up the website in protest at some trading websites, which, he says, charge artificially inflated advertising fees for size, duration and region.

His aim was to create an online community where people could buy or sell what they liked without paying commission every time they made a sale.

He said: "The internet has virtually no variable costs so it is not necessary to charge people a commission every time something is sold.

"These concepts simply have no meaning in cyberspace."

"Some auction and trading sites are transferring paper costs on to the internet where they simply do not exist and no one has challenged them so far."

He added: "Another thing that sets us apart is we are a family-friendly site, which is monitored 24/7 to make sure there is no adult content."

The People's Web is a hybrid between a traditional trading site and a business directory, which uses "matching technology" to link for sale ads and wanted ads.

"If you are selling a green car with pink spots in Brighton, you will only be linked to people looking for a green car with pink spots.

"It doesn't matter how deep your pockets are. We are not an auction site, we are a matchmaking site.

"We wanted to create a level playing field."

The People's Web broke even in nine months and turnover now stands at £250,000.

Mark and co-founder Tim Hayes are now in talks with a venture capitalist firm to invest £5 million in the site in spring for a national advertising campaign.

The aim is to turn The People's Web into a household name by the summer.

Chief executive Mr Hayes said: "The internet is horrendously overpriced.

"So many consumers and small businesses are being exploited and overcharged on the internet by large companies absorbing all the cost benefits that online trading affords.

To go to the The People's Web, click here