An inventor who turned down £200,000 investment on the hit BBC show Dragon’s Den is celebrating - after selling five million of his light up balloons.

James Halliburton was offered the cash by Dragons Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, while he accepted the offer on the show, he later turned it down to go it alone.

He had originally pitched his Water-buoy idea - an auto-inflating, strengthened and illuminated balloon that would be attached to items which could be accidentally dropped in water.

But he found success after he saw children playing with his invention and adapted the idea into the 'Illoom balloon' essentially a ballon with an LED inside. Once turned on the balloon is illuminated for 15 minutes.

After tinkering with his invention he struck a deal to sell the balloons at Tesco and has already flogged 500,000. The illoom balloons are sold in packs of 5 for £4.99 of 15 for £8.99.

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