How a Leyland dad who set up a business for his son has created the ICE (In Case of Emergency) seat belt wrap which provides extra advice for first responders and paramedics

Kevin Alty, who owns personalised gift firm Mugmento in Golden Hill Lane, Leyland, was looking at ways of expanding his range and after a vision in a dream, he came up with the ICE (In Case of Emergency) advice.

The product is a Velcro wrap that can be attached to the seat belt and has written details of the passenger, such as name, date of birth, if they have any disabilities or allergies and emergency contact details.

The idea is that it will save time in an emergency.

The 62-year-old from Leyland said: “The wrap fits around the seat belt with a Velcro fasten at the back. It will have basic information that would help a paramedic at the scene of an accident if the person was unconscious. It also has a photo of the person so the paramedic is satisfied the information relates to the correct passenger. These few extra details, especially if the person has a disability, can give the paramedic extra guidance and time to understand the situation and act accordingly.”

The seat belt wrap is a far cry from his usual personalised gifts, which include mugs, glassware and children’s toys, but he said the idea possibly came to him in a dream.

He said: “I am not certain whether it was a dream or I read it, but something entered my head about a little boy who was in a road traffic accident and both he and his father had been knocked unconscious. They were taken to hospital and the boy was going to have an MRI scan but he was deaf and the dad had a cochlear implant which if he went through the scanner would have caused damage. It got me thinking how I could help in that situation - and the seat belt wrap was born.”

The wraps are selling at £5, with any profits going towards providing the product to a family in need.

He said: “It costs me £4.78 to make, so that 22p profit is saved up and once I have £5, I will give it to a charity to pass to a family who is unable to afford the £5. This item will give people peace of mind, especially if they have a loved one with a disability. I would rather people buy it and say it is a waste of money than have to use it.”

Kevin, a father-of-four, with five grandchildren, retired from Springfields last year - three years after he had a heart attack and he was not able to work in the same capacity.

But he set up the Mugmento at the start of the year as a way of giving his 22-year-old son, Simon, who has Asperger’s, a job.

He added: “I wanted to ensure Simon had a job and as he was into computers, I came up with the idea of personalising things. He is very thorough and enjoys paying attention to detail.

“We are a business, but we are not money orientated. It is like a hobby for Simon. It is to give him experience of being able to run his own business.”

Kevin will be selling his wraps and other items at Leyland Market Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, or email [email protected].