AN ENTREPRENEURIAL couple are hoping their new invention could spell an end to drivers causing damage to their car doors while battling to open them in cramped spaces.

Owen and Simone Schenkel, who live in Royal Wootton Bassett and have spent almost a year developing No!Dinky, have also set their sights on enticing the BBC Dragon’s Den entrepreneurs to make an investment in the removable car door protector.

The piece of foam works by being cut in a specific way to fit snug on car door and act as a barrier.

So when drivers or passengers attempt to open it to get shopping or children out, but are faced with hitting objects around it, such as other doors or walls, they can do so without fear of denting or damaging anything.

The pair, who have been married for eight years, were inspired to create the product after experiencing their own difficulties getting their two young children out of their car in tiny supermarket parking spaces.

Engineer Owen, 34, said: “Simone is a stay-at-home mum looking after our two kids and it was quite difficult to find part-time work, so we thought we would develop a product we could sell from home and help families.

“We started brainstorming ideas of things that would be good and worthwhile, as well as helpful and fun.

“We have lived in Swindon for ten years and we noticed there is not a lot of space in car parks in places in the town centre, so we thought how can we make something simple as we haven’t got a lot of manufacturing facilities?”

Initially it was 35-year-old Simone who came up with the aesthetic design but Owen fine-tuned the details to find the right glue, material and handle.

He added: “We went through a trial and error process and I bought the materials from a company in the UK and we get it cut in Melksham, so it is all locally produced.

“We have sent them out to friends and family and taken them to a fete in Royal Wootton Bassett, the reaction is really positive and people are interested in it.

“There is nothing out there like it at the moment. It’s a working product and stands up to use and abuse.

"The dream would be every single car has a No!Dinky looking after it."

The couple have launched an online crowd funding page here: kickstarter.com/projects/1901298548/nodinky-the-removable-car-door-protector

If they sell enough they are also hoping to apply for Dragon's Den to pitch their idea.

Owen added: “They already phoned us up and they asked me how many we had sold, but they said it was not a huge amount for them to be interested yet.

“If we could get onto the show it would be great. I’ve prepared a presentation with props to show the product off."