A FOOTBALL coach has invented a way to stop laces coming untied and holding up youth matches.

Paula Henley, who runs an under-nines football team, had a ‘lightbulb moment’ when a child turned up for training with a rubber band wrapped around each boot which held his laces in place.

Mrs Henley went away to develop a foolproof design that appealed to children – and came up with Laceeze.

The product is a brightly-coloured silicone strap that fits over any boot or trainer and has an enlarged centre which totally covers the laces.

The strap holds the laces down and has a ribbed underside to ensure it doesn’t slip. It means a single knot lace underneath has no room to come undone.

Mrs Henley’s strapline for Laceeze is ‘Don’t Stop the Game’.

Mrs Henley, from Ferndown, and business partner Emma Burke, from Bournemouth, have invested £15,000 in designing and manufacturing the product and having it trademarked.

Since the £5.99 laces launched six weeks ago, the women have sold 450 pairs either online or through ambassadors who are involved in youth football and sell the Laceeze at games and tournaments on commission.

Mrs Henley, a former insurance broker and former chairwoman of Wimborne Town FC, said: “When a child’s boot laces come undone it is usually because they haven’t done them up tightly enough. So when they start running around, the laces move around and begin to come loose.

“When that happens during a match or training session it is a real pain as the game has to stop so an adult can come on the pitch and do their laces back up.

“It interrupts the flow of the game and is annoying to coaches, parents and the referee.”The 50-year-old mother of two contacted a rubber band suppliers in Wales and was advised to use silicone as it is tougher.

As well as football boots, Laceeze can be worn over rugby boots and astro trainers.

Mrs Henley and Mrs Burke have been approached by a cricket club to see if they can make a white version of Laceeze.