Here is a rubbish idea that might cook up a fortune for one Oxfordshire enterprise — and make some pocket money for the inmates of a prison into the bargain.

The idea was first publicly aired on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den when entrepreneur Peter Jones gave it the thumbs up.

He said: “I was immediately attracted to the product because it overcomes a problem faced by millions of people.”

That problem is: how to open the lid of a wheelie bin when both your hands are full of rubbish. And the solution, now being manufactured and marketed by CAT Enterprises of Worminghall, is a gizmo to turn your wheelie bin into a giant version of the traditional pedal bin found in many kitchens.

The device consists of a cord with a pedal on one end and a hook on the other, which enables users to open a bin with their foot.

Now CAT — the initials stand for the first names of founding couple Charles and Teresa Harrison — which is best known as a manufacturer of microwave cookware, has invested £25,000 in tools, public relations, packaging design, and marketing, to bring the product to market.

Mr Harrison said: “We already have some big players such as B&Q, Lakeland and Homebase showing an interest.”

And CAT has signed up an unusual workforce to assemble and package the new device — prisoners at Bullingdon Prison near Bicester, who will put three pieces together and insert instructions.

Millionaire Peter Jones who, before finding fame and fortune, ran into financial trouble with a start-up business before making millions out of mobile telephones, has put his money where his mouth is and paid out £50,000 for half the patent in the idea.

He said: “With the number of wheelie bins increasing every year, the potential is enormous and I am delighted the product will be manufactured in Britain.”

Mr Harrison added: “CAT came to be the manufacturers after Mr Jones approached the company at a trade show in Islington, London, in June. We shall pay Lid Lifters a royalty on every unit we sell.”

Lid Lifter inventors Lawrence Webb and Frank Drewett obtained a patent for their idea 12 years ago and pitched for £50,000 on Dragons’ Den earlier this year — having sold only 2,000 of the devices.

Potential investors on the programme showed an immediate interest, with two dragons — Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis — each offering to pay up £25,000 for a quarter share of the patent — before Mr Jones put in his £50,000 offer.

Mr Jones told Mr Webb and Mr Drewett that in his opinion their product was "superb". He informed them that their lucky day had arrived.

Mr Harrison explained the contract with Bullingdon Prison came about as an extension of a historic, and successful, arrangement between the prison and Cat Enterprises where the prisoners packed clothes pegs for the company.

The firm, founded six years ago and now employing five people, started by making mousetraps, ironing board covers and clothes pegs — and later, the non-stain microwave cookware brand Easy-Cook, a product Mr Lawton understands well, having started his career working for large companies in that field, before striking out independently.

Now he has been joined in the venture by fellow director Ian Rawlings.

He said: “Our company has a very simple philosophy. We want to supply our customers with high quality products designed and manufactured in Britain.”

He added: “It's always easy to be second with a great idea and, like many other small manufacturing companies, we have to accept that larger companies will take our ideas and have products made in the Far East.

“We were the first to come up with the idea of non-stain microwave cookware and now we are the first to make Lid Lifters.”

Lid Lifters are available from about £10 at major stores and CAT Enterprises plan to make an initial run of about 20,000.