The Evening Standard: Next Generation Pooper Scooper - 'Who Needs The Dragons!'

Who Needs the Dragons? 

It's a dog's life 

Helen Kirby, 31 and Stuart Kirby, 36 

Product - The dooup - a kind of portable bin that scoops up dog mess and sprays the garden with disinfectant

Background - Brother and sister team grew up in Hainault, Essex, Stuart studied politics and economics at the University of East London, while his sister Helen honed her marketing skills with a degree in English and Communications at London Guildhall. Currently Stuart lives in London and Helen in Herefordshire.

Eureka Moment - 'When our mother passed away in 2009, Stuart and I went back home to live with Dad while he adjusted to life without mum. Knowing how awful the dog mess situation is in many places, we decided to invent The Complete Solution  - a prototype made from household materials: a dustbin, an olive oil spray and a water gun that would clean up dog mess and sterilise the area simultaneously.'

To Market - 'It's taken 18 months to get it from a prototype and cost about 80,000, not including the fact we haven't been earning. We've dedicated all our time and energy to this - we even travelled to China to get the right price from manufacturers'.

In the club - We went to the British Library where we met Mark Sheahan, inventor-in-residence, and through his help we've been able to get expert advice on our prototypes and access to funding.

Economics - We're about to go into production hoping to tap into the Christmas market. We're looking to be stocked in Pets at Home, where the product will retail for around 59.95, including bags and fluid.'

Wackiest Idea - 'Outside our bathroom, there was a hole in the floor where we had a laundry chute that linked to the utility room where the washing machine was. What a revelation!

Millionaire By? - There are around 285 million dog owners around the world - so hopefully not too long'. thedooup.com