The decline of Britain's engineering industry gave Graham Whitby the opportunity to take his invention into the worldwide marketplace.

His Baby Dream Machine is achieving booming sales across the globe and demand is growing as more parents buy into what was conceived as a cure for sleepless nights.

Rocking his three children off to sleep when they were younger gave Graham the idea to create a device to imitate the movement.

A pushchair or pram is placed onto the tray-like contraption on the floor. The wheels are gently rocked in a non-stop cycling motion operating on a timer so it shuts off once the baby has drifted off to sleep, giving mum or dad the chance for some sleep or to get on with household chores.

Graham's children were sleeping through by the time his invention came to fruition but he believes it's a dream come true for parents, particularly those with multiple births.

"Parents with twins and triplets I really sympathise with," says Graham, referring to the recollection of his own sleepless nights.

Having the confidence in his invention was imperative to his success. He also has plenty of expertise in the field of electronics and engineering. After completing a technology degree at Newcastle University, Graham spent many years in the printed circuit board industry manufacturing all manner of products, TVs, hearing aids and even missiles.

But seeing engineering gradually disappearing out of the country, he had the foresight to seek another challenge and decided to give his invention a go. He says he had a gut feeling it would take off.

"I knew if I'd seen this I would have bought it," he says.

Since launching the device in July last year, his Gomersal-based company, Natural Sleep Innovation Ltd, is achieving around 2,000 sales a month with enquiries from all around the world. Such is the demand that he hopes to launch a rocking cot in September.

He's busy working on other projects too. Knowing how difficult it can be for inventors to turn their ideas into reality, Graham is keen to help others achieve the same success through his other company, Alchemy Product Developments. The firm's name is derived from the process of turning lead into gilt.

"It's trying to convert the concept into a major success," says Graham.

Following his appearance on BBC2's Dragon's Den, where participants have to pitch their idea in front of a panel of investors, a Skipton inventor contacted him to see if he could help market his electronic bath thermometer. The product, scheduled for launch in April, ensures bath water temperature is just right, an essential piece of kit for babies or the elderly who can burn easily.

Graham is confident he can help other inventors too.

"I think in this country there is more of a stifling of inventors. It's such a hard slog. If you are a genuine person with a genuine idea it's not easy, and to get where we've got we've had to pull a lot of contacts from my career," he says, referring to his colleagues, director and chairman Jeff Monks and technical director Nathan Gilbert.

"This is a completely different career and it's exciting as well. There are lots of great people out there with great ideas. I think the UK is one of the most entrepreneurial countries in the world. Most ideas are born in the UK.

"I see myself fighting the cause of keeping Britain as it is and helping it to flourish."

For more information about engineering courses call Bradford University on (01274) 232323.