A Matchborough man has put his devastating redundancy from MG Rover behind him and set up a new business in home and garden maintenance.

David Cartwright, of Kenchester Close, worked as a technician at Longbridge for 10 years before the recent collapse.

The father-of-two said after leaving the stricken firm, he was unable to see any hope for the future.

He said: "I was totally gutted. Suddenly it was crunch time and I was out in the big wide world, competing with other Rover workers for low-paid jobs and with skills finely tuned to Rover but nothing else."

Mr Cartwright, 43, said three weeks of inactivity spurred him into action and he decided to draw on his hobbies to launch the budding business.

He said: "I'm constantly pottering about the garden, building pagodas and barbecues, putting up fences and laying patios for friends and family.

"So I thought, why not give it a go? I've been doing this for years and could run the business from home."

Mr Cartwright, also an interior painter and decorator, said he was "fully confident" his business would be a success and he hoped other former Rover workers would also be able to bounce back from the crisis.