A HAMPSHIRE inventor has won two accolades at a prestigious national awards show.

Melissa Edmunds scooped the gongs at the British Invention of the Year Awards for her creation, SafeSip.

And following her success, Mrs Edmunds has now launched her product, which is designed to eliminate spills, internationally.

A former business development officer at South Wales Police, Mrs Edmunds, from Ringwood, left her job to carry on her project.

SafeSip is a brightly-coloured cover, made from silicon, which stretches over most glasses, cups and cans, and stops spillages.

She came up with the idea to stop her son, David, spilling his drinks, and sees a potential use for it in hospitals to reduce dehydration and reduce costs.

Mrs Edmunds has recently been helped in growing the business by a £50,000 grant from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Daily Echo-backed Bridging the Gap initiative.

The product is now being distributed to Australia, Canada, North America, Europe and Asia, as well as the UK.

And it was a winner at the British Invention of the Year Awards, held at the Savoy Hotel in London.

It was awarded the Platinum Award for British Invention in the consumer category, while Mrs Edmunds was named the British Female Inventor of the Year 2014 International.

She said: “The response to SafeSip has been amazing.

“This is one of those products that grows to include just about everyone – it can be used by so many people in so many ways – from simplifying life for kids, mums, campers and clubbers to giving the disabled and elderly a new sense of independence and freedom.

“This product is both fun and simple for all to use.”

Bridging the Gap Investment Panel chairman Stuart Hill said: “It’s fantastic to hear Melissa has been recognised for her hard work and innovation.

“It’s a great example of how the Bridging The Gap Fund is having an impact on the ground, and we’re so proud of Melissa for her achievements.

“She’s an example of the exciting entrepreneurial and innovative talent we have in the Solent region and we can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.”