An A level design student from Burleigh Community College has received an extra bonus for his major project; he is now in the ranks of inventors.

Luke Miller has a patent pending on an innovative new type of bicycle lock. Luke developed the concept with help from his Product Design Teacher, Matt Whittaker, and the product was made up by a local company, Artform International, using their 3D printer.

The final idea and product was so good that Mr Whittaker helped Luke file a patent on the idea. He said "Sometimes you work with an idea and you know it’s got massive potential. This product should be manufactured by someone so the only way to take it to market is to protect it with a patent first. Now we can approach companies to see if they would like to produce and distribute it themselves."

Discussions are already taking place with a leading UK manufacturer.

Luke has enjoyed his design experience at Burleigh Community College and is now moving on to start an Electrical Engineering Apprenticeship for a Loughborough company. He said, "Design was always my favourite subject and it’s finished off with this patent as well as the design award for my work. I’m very grateful to the Burleigh design team and to Artform International for the magnificent support I got."

Mr Whittaker himself has a history of selling ideas to industry. "I’ve always been fascinated with invention, maybe because my father is also an inventor. As well as working on Luke’s concept I am also working on a space propulsion engine and an idea put to me by a London music producer."

He went on to add, "I think it’s good that our students get to see how ideas can generate interest, income and fun. I hope the students I teach get to experience that it is possible to become more entrepreneurial. At Burleigh we always say the students are learning for life and these skills are increasingly more important as industry and technologies are changing so fast."

The photo shows Luke with his new cycle lock.