A TV troubleshooter has helped turn around a struggling Blackburn business after going undercover to see where the boss and staff were going wrong.

Ashley Cook, owner of pets and aquatics shop Aquamania, turned to television in a desperate attempt to save his company, which was suffering from staff problems and tough trading conditions.

He recruited The Ferocious Mr Fixit, BBC Three's answer to Kitchen Nightmares star Gordon Ramsay.

Today he revealed two employees quit during the filming of the business's transformation.

But they returned in time to see the business back on its feet and Ashley said that the Kent Street shop was now operating much more successfully.

The fly-on-the-wall documentary, starring tough-talking Glaswegian Alasdair Jeffrey, saw hidden cameras and microphones installed in the shop last July.

He said: "Over the last 12 months we've had a few problems.

"I was taking time off going through trading magazines and saw an advert for a television programme.

"It sounded ideal for us. Staff thought the BBC were coming to film the six-foot guinea pig we have as our mascot but they fitted hidden cameras and microphones and channelled them into a van outside.

"They started filming on the Wednesday that week and Alasdair came in undercover on the Thursday pretending to apply for a job.

"He worked for two days undercover and found out about all that was going on.

"And then he came back to me with recommendations and ideas on how to improve the shop and our professionalism.

"Then on the Saturday I had a meeting with the staff.

"The BBC came in behind me with the cameras. It was a big shock for them and two members of staff walked out."

Those who stayed were taken to the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors, for intensive training.

Mr Cook was filmed at Accrington Stanley's Interlink Express Stadium and Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park and asked if he wanted his business to be "in the Conference or the Premier Division", before returning to a rejuvenated workplace.

He said: "The shop has been working a lot better since then. There's a new layout and the customers seem to be a lot happier."

After 10 years successfully working the corporate consultancy circuit, The Ferocious Mr Fixit is Mr Jeffrey's first television project.

A spokesman for the BBC said: "Alasdair's fixes are unconventional -- but they get results. He could arrive at your front door at 4am, or if you're not communicating, you could find yourself handcuffed to your office rival."

A spokesman for the BBC said it was common to use secret filming but stressed the show would not have been televised if the staff had any complaints.

The documentary will be shown on BBC Three on Monday at 9pm.