A Bradford student is launching a business venture which he hopes will help prevent deaths from plane crashes and save the airline industry billions of pounds.

Andrew Seaford, 21, is developing a computer which can tackle debris on airport runways - the problem that caused the Concorde crash which killed 113 people in Paris five years ago.

His idea has won him a prize at a University of Bradford awards ceremony marking the achievements of young entrepreneurs.

Andrew was one of eight winners at the annual Business Planning Competition, organised by the University's ThinkBusiness@Bradford department, which helps students and graduates to develop their own ventures.

He picked up a £1,000 cheque - the Saunderson Lumber Prize - and is now looking for funding to develop the idea.

He said: "Debris on the runway is known as FOD (foreign object debris) and it is detected by people driving up and down the runway looking for it.

"They can miss things and they do not do it frequently enough. I have devised a camera which runs along a track at and spots debris. A computer will then locate where it is on the runway and alert the control tower.

"FOD can cause plane crashes - the Concorde crash in Paris was caused by a 40cm piece of metal on the runway - and it costs the industry £2.8 billion a year through damage to aircraft and delays. I hope my idea will save a lot of money and save lives as well.

"I am very pleased to have won this award which I think will help to develop my idea."

Andrew, from Mansfield, is in the final year of his cybernetics degree at the University.

Other winners at the ThinkBusiness awards ranged from electronic imaging graduate Brian Harte, who received £2,500 for his plan for a photography business, to counselling graduate Beverly Robinson's idea of Future Gardeners - a project to get disaffected youths to grow organic vegetables for local consumption.

Teresa Hull, start-up co-ordinator at ThinkBusiness-@Bradford said: "It is inspiring to see the levels of passion, creativity and diversity of ideas this competition attracted at a time when students are busy with assessments.

"Many entries had a strong social and community-based benefit at their core as well as economic value to offer their city."

John Baruch, head of the university's cybernetics department, said: "I believe that running your own business is a career option for all our students either when they graduate or later in life.

"We are committed to ensuring that they can all be successful entrepreneurs."