A RIBBLE Valley entrepreneur has started her first business in a bid to "clean up" from the area's love of caravans.

Jeannette Wyatt, 45, of Pendle Avenue, Chatburn, is the brains behind P&J Caravan Valeting, which offers a service thought to be unique to East Lancashire.

Previously Mrs Wyatt worked in the retail trade as a shop assistant, but is now living her dream of being an independent business owner.

She now hopes her new firm will go from strength to strength, and has already received orders from outside the area for her valet service.

She said: "I thought about this last year but never really got round to doing anything. Then after Christmas I did some research and found that a lot of car valeters aren't interested in doing caravans. No-one in the area does it.

"A lot of people don't wash them, but I even do the roof which a lot of people can't manage.

"Often it's too high or too hard for them to do it.

"It's doing pretty well and I am getting about three bookings a week, which is what I hoped to be doing. I have done three in Warrington."

Jeanette's husband offered a helping hand, and has fitted out a van for her to use to transport her equipment.

Local business advice service, Ribble Valley Enterprise Agency, helped Jeanette with advice on bookkeeping and getting the business off the ground.

Now Jeanette has urged other fledgling business-people to give it a go, and make their dream a reality.

She said: "In the future I am hoping to be able to take someone on with me so they can clean the inside while I do the outside. If I do a full valet it can take five to five-and-a-half hours. If there were two of us it would take about three hours."