Profiles

When Michael Cotton pitched the idea of a device to stop motorists putting the wrong fuel in their car to the Dragons, they were so impressed they offered him £250,000 - setting a new record for the amount of money ever parted with.

According to Michael there are 78 million diesel vehicles in Europe, and 11 million in England. 

Each year between 150-200 thousand people put the wrong type of fuel in their car. So how does it work? Michael explains:

"It's a simple solution to quite a wide spread problem. It works as a blocker, you take the fuel cap off, you screw this device in, you replace the fuel cap, and then physically you can't get the narrower unleaded nozzle in the neck."

So why did Michael decide to go on Dragons Den?

"The product was very good and it was a quick way to get into a huge market - there is a big demand for it," Michael says.

"Hopefully we will expand through Europe and perhaps the States and we've had enquiries from Australia so things are looking good."

So what's it like going into the den?

"It's very difficult to know what to say. Whatever you are going to say on Dragon's Den they are going to take offence, they're not there to make you feel comfortable or make you look good. It's their programme not mine."

Michael is now hoping that the product will sell world wide.