A MUM-OF-FIVE who just wanted to protect her children from internet perverts, has scooped a major award for being a bright spark.

Paula Ward, one of only 10 women out of 250 exhibitors at the British Invention Show, took the top prize.

Her Internet and Phone Guard was named invention of the year at the four-day exhibition at the Barbican Centre in central London.

Since the show ended on Sunday she has been inundated with calls from interested businesses and marketing firms and the first 5,000 will hit the shops in time for Christmas.

Miss Ward, 30, who lived in Beckenham until last year and runs The Sunbed Shop, in Penge High Street, said: “It’s just amazing, I can’t believe it.

“There were so many fantastic inventions there I did not expect to win. My favourite was a guy who has invented a fire-proof cream.” We reported in August, the £25 device, which allows parents to remotely activate and deactivate their home web connection, could revolutionise internet use.

Miss Ward and her partner Rory Donnelly remortgaged their house twice to develop the system over 18 months.

Homebase will stock the gadget from next month and other electrical retailers will follow suit in the new year.