ANDY Cornwall is leading a one-man crusade to light up the world with energy-saving LED lights.

Twelve months ago, Andy, who lives in Mellor, gave up his job in the wine trade to launch his own internet business, www.lovelightbulbs.com.

And his bright idea has really taken off as he now sells bulbs to homes and businesses across Europe and Australia.

Andy, who worked for 13 years as a wine sales manager and used to own a wine shop in St Annes, said more people are converting from 50w halogen to low wattage LED bulbs as they last up to 50,000 hours, use less energy and they are made to his exact standards.

After researching many products and with green energy high on the agenda, Andy saw an opportunity to sell quality LEDs.

Within months sales jumped from one or two orders a week to well over 100.

Andy, 40, who buys large volumes of bulbs direct from the manufacturer in China, said: “For a few months I was still selling wine and running the light bulb business, but it just proved so successful that one job had to go.

"I’ve always been my own boss, but working in a different industry is a real challenge, there’s always something new to learn and the feedback from customers has been amazing. We get lots of orders from Malta, Australia, Greece, Scandanavia and the UK. I'm getting lots of referral business from people who recommend me to their neighbours.

"Plus I get to save them money on their bills, which is a bonus. I’d definitely encourage anyone thinking of setting up an internet business to give it a go.

“We live in a society with appalling customer service, therefore to stand out from the rest you need to be the best at what you do,” added Andy.

Andy has plans to expand, including taking on new staff.