A FORMER professional rugby player has moved from London to the North East to launch a business which will help transform childrens’ trainers.

Junior Paul grew up always having to share his brothers’ football boots and running shoes and, now he is a PE teacher in Redcar, he wanted to help his pupils have the right gear to play sport.

He has invented Scorpeun – a sole with spikes or studs attached which can be strapped to an ordinary pair of trainers. He is trialling them at schools and hopes to have them on the market for less than £15 a pair before the school summer holiday.

“I was a school athlete in a variety of sports and I was one of five children in a single parent family, so I know what it is like having to try and borrow football boots or spikes all the time,” said Paul.

“A lot of children don’t have the right footwear for a full range of sports because it is very expensive, especially for large families.

“When I take the children out to play other teams from public schools it is hard for them having to come off and swap shoes with the other players because there are not enough boots to go round.

“When children do physics they get protective glasses and aprons, but they don’t get the right shoes in sports.

“They are just left in normal trainers, whether they are playing on tarmac or grass and whatever the weather. The Scorpeun gives them more confidence, as well as better grip.”

The former London Broncos rugby league player, 40, says he moved up from London to Redcar to launch his business because he got some help here he could not find in his home city.

He named his firm Kamaiden after his three sports-mad sons – Kameron, Kai and Kaden – and has moved into low-cost offices and a workshop at UK Steel Enterprise’s Innovation Centre in Redcar.

“UK Steel Enterprise has really gone the extra mile for me,” he said. “My office and workshop are an ideal size and the support and shared facilities are great.

“There is a lot involved in starting a new business and it has taken time to manufacture prototypes and start developing a range, but I plan to take full advantage of 2012 being Olympic year and get off to a great start.”