Inventor proves TV's Dragons wrong

A device to stop tables wobbling which was derided on television's Dragons' Den programme has sold nearly 500,000 units, its inventor has said.

Andrew Gordon, a 31-year-old marketing manager from Surrey, appeared on the BBC Two show but was told his idea was "really, really bad" and "stupid".

But Mr Gordon has now secured a 200,000-unit order and hopes to have his STABLEtables in supermarkets too.

Mr Gordon said even Kensington Palace had placed an order for the product.

The Exam Officers Association had placed the large order, he said, adding that he was speaking to major stores such as Tesco and B&Q.
Mr Gordon, originally from Scotland, had the idea after a night out involving five pints of Guinness.

He said: "The table in the pub was wobbly and someone suggested moving to a stable table. The next morning, with a hangover, I started cutting up a cornflakes packet."

However, Mr Gordon played down the criticism he received on the show during his appearance in 2005. He added: "It is not even good to have proved them wrong, it's just quite satisfying that it's kicked off."

During the show, in which people bid to get investment from a panel of leading entrepreneurs, former "dragon" Rachel Elnaugh said Mr Gordon's idea was "the most utterly ridiculous business idea".