A CAT which ran into the path of a pizza deliverer’s car has inspired an invention for restraining objects on passenger seats.

Mark Poole has patented the CargoRoo – a system for holding in place items such as takeaway food, shopping and pet carriers.

He was delivering pizzas to support his studies as a media production student at Bournemouth University when he hit on the idea.

“I was driving down Luther Road in Charminster on a delivery when a cat ran out in front of the car,” said Mark.

“Because I was driving on a downward slope, all the pizzas slid off the front seat. There were three boxes of them.

“I thought ‘How can I stop that from happening?’”

He came up with the idea of a four-point shock-absorbing system which supports a cotton harness and is easily fitted to a car seat using only three plastic loops. The idea has taken several years to get to the point where it can be put into production.

Mark received valuable feedback from Salim Setra, non-foods buyer at Bestway Cash and Carry, who asked him to look at ways of making it cheaper, which helped simplify the design.

He was also given permission to carry out a survey in the car park of Halfords, which showed customers were interested in the idea.

Wesley Norton at Southern Aquatics in Poole also offered suggestions and the device has been used to safely carry live fish.

Mark now has a manufacturer, Vertigo International, lined up in China and is looking for investors to back the idea.

The 44-year-old, who worked on a building site for 14 years before studying for his first qualifications, says the skills he picked up over that time have stood him in good stead.

“It’s a mixture of practical skill and being able to explain what I’ve done that’s helped me push it through on a low budget,” he said.

Mark and the CargoRoo are on Facebook at facebook.com/CargoRooLtd