A TYNE Valley man who started his own business making disinfectant products three years ago has seen demand for his wares soar due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Peter Foster, who grew up near Hexham, runs Haydon Bridge-based firm ForBio, which sells safe disinfectants that can be used on areas and equipment for animals.

Business has been steady since he formed the company in 2017 - but in recent months, more and more people have been purchasing his products.

He said: “People are buying the products for use in the home, because everybody is affected by the pandemic.

“All of a sudden it’s right in everybody’s focus, there’s a massive awareness for what we do now.

“People wouldn’t have washed their hands anywhere near as much as they do now. It’s just very much pushed to the forefront of people’s minds now.

“I’ve got places like riding schools using my products now because different people are using the tack and equipment all the time. It’s affecting lots of people in lots of different ways.”

One product - a spray disinfectant - has even found favour with automotive sellers, who can use the spray to disinfect a vehicle that has been tested, making it safe to enter for others in around an hour.

Peter continued: “There’s an aerosol which I have which can kill the coronaviurs, and it can be used in cars.

“It will also kill Legionella bacteria in the air conditioning, which is a real risk in hot countries.”

The products are all safe to use and non-toxic towards both people and animals - something Peter thinks has helped his success.

He added: “These products are really clever.

“They’re non-toxic and safe for animals and humans. I’m not a chemist but I do understand the animal side.

“We’ve got Defra approval and the science behind it is very very clever.

“It’s a changing world and people are more aware.”