Jean and Liz du Val and their sons Luke (11) and Joshua (8) take a walk on Grève de Lecq beach with Martin Greenwood. Picture: TONY PIKE (00963095)

AN Island businessman has invented a cost-effective method of adapting standard wheelchairs to allow them to be used on beaches and over other difficult terrain.

Martin Greenwood of St Mary-based Terrainean Products has devised a way of fitting Chinese made large ‘balloon’ wheels to the chairs.

As a result the Chinese manufacturer has granted him exclusive rights to sell and distribute its wheels throughout a number of European countries.

Such is their effectiveness that one St John family was recently able to go to the beach together for the first time as they could push their disabled son on the sand.

The adaption kit is easy to apply and can be done with the use of a single spanner. The process should take a maximum of ten minutes to complete.

The wheels and kit cost about £700 and can be comfortably carried in a Mini. There is a more expensive and larger option called the De-Bug which costs about £2,500.