A YOUNG Dragon’s Den fan has invented an app to help solve a headache for the UK’s 37million drivers – at the tender age of nine.

Ben Redrup, from Taunton, has come up with a text message service reminder to let motorists know when their road tax, MOT, servicing and insurance are due for renewal.

His idea – visit www.micardo.co.uk - has been taken up by Taunton business HigherSites and turned into an app which will shortly be released to vehicle owners.

It is claimed to be the first such app providing text reminders for all four different elements, allowing recipients to print a tax disc for visual reminders and also containing the driver’s emergency contact details.

Ben, who attends Taunton School, said: “I love everything to do with business and work it around my schooling.

“I have lots of ideas for creating apps and believe this one is a real help for millions.

“It will help people to keep up to date with all of their car document renewals.”

The app invention comes after the DVLA abolished the tax disc and the absence of the MOT reminders.

Motorists failing to tax or MOT their vehicles face being fined or clamped – but not if Ben has his way.

After spending most of his summer holiday working on the idea, he now has his first bank account and a limited company, with plans to develop further apps around his love of cookery.

The system works by users typing in their details and for £3.50 they receive a print out of their tax disc and a text 30 days before, seven days before and one day before their tax, MOT, insurance and servicing are due or expire.

For an extra one-off 50p payment, the software will find users’ tax and MOT dates out for them.

Ben and his dad Jon own 45% shares, while a family friend has invested in the business.

Jon said: “He is a fabulous boy and is always coming up with dozens of ideas on all sorts of things. “He has huge enthusiasm for all things business and entrepreneurial.”

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*Ben is the second schoolboy to come up with an idea to help motorists avoid falling foul of the law – Harvey Millington, 13, of Staplegrove, invented a disc to remind people when their tax and MOT are up for renewal.