Tony Waithe has become the new face of young scientists after winning gold at the British Inventors' Society (BIS) 2004 annual show.

Tony, who has a design studio in West Hampstead, won the award at the event, held in Alexandra Palace last Year, with a creation called The Great Escape Ladder.

His invention is a fold-up metal fire escape ladder that can be used to get out of any building up to three storeys. It’s A unique two bar construction, the first of which is attached horizontally and permanently into the wall, A second section, consisting of a compact platform with hand rails plus steel rope ladder and rungs, which can be stored in its own housing or attached to the primary horizontal bar as described.

Of all the escape ladders currently available, only one offers the ability to operate in almost any built environment, wherever it be installed under a windowsill, a balcony or on a roof top – and that is the Great Escape Ladder.