A FORMER aid worker has said that he has kept his ethics despite soaring success as a businessman.

Gary Lancet, 40, of Manning Road, Walthamstow, has turned his company from a small supplier of bookholders into an international distributor, selling up to 35,000 products a year.

He recently came first in the E-Commerce category of the East London Business Awards and previously won the Entrepreneur of the Year Competition.

Mr Lancet's company, Bookchair Ltd, was created three years ago when the Walthamstow man realised that there was a gap in the market for a business that sold affordable bookstands.

Yet the spectacular success of the company is a far cry from Mr Lancet's previous life as an international aid worker, helping people in places like Rwanda and Afghanistan.

"I am interested in money, but I wouldn't want to make it at other people's expense," he said.

"My products are made in India and Bangladesh but I certainly don't use slave labour.

"I also give ten per cent of all my profits to charity."

Mr Lancet came up with the idea for Bookchair Ltd when he was a student with the Open University.

He was suffering from back and neck ache that was exacerbated by reading. To beat the problem he searched for a bookholder, but could only find a very expensive one in Harrods.

Seeing a gap in the market, he started his own company from his house with a £500 overdraft.

Sales were slow at first, but once major retailers became interested, Mr Lancet has managed to sell up to 35,000 bookchairs each year for £17.50 each.

Now the company is established, the entrepreneur who admits that he has been married to his job for the past three years is hoping to find time for other activities.

"Owning a business is a bit like having a baby. You have to nurture it and care for it because if you don't it might die.

"I've had a lot of success with my company but I'm hoping that soon it'll walk on two feet, like a toddler, so I can have more of a personal life," he said.

For further information, contact the Bookchair company on 8523 5023.