When engineer Jeff Tordoff had trouble manoeuvring his motorbike around the garage he set himself the challenge of coming up with a solution.

Now his invention, which has taken four years to develop, could turn out to be a worldwide seller and help to put the brakes on criminals.

High performance sports motorbikes are a popular target for thieves and police believe many are stolen to order.

Since the start of the year, 20 motorbikes, ranging from off-road scramblers to £10,000 superbikes, have been stolen in the Bradford district each month.

Police recommend owners store their motorbikes in a hard-to-reach place in their garage, preferably blocked in by a car to make it more difficult for thieves.

But some of the more expensive models weigh more than a quarter of a ton and can be difficult to manoeuvre into place.

Jeff's invention allows owners to wheel their bike on to a steel ramp, push it into position on a set of casters and bolt it to the floor.

Now the 40-year-old has patented his idea and launches it onto the market this week.

He said: "I came up with the idea four years ago. I used to have a motorbike and, being only 5ft 4ins, sometimes found it difficult to manoeuvre.

"I'm a trained engineer and used to have my own workshop so I decided to have a go at inventing a solution.

"I've been working on a prototype ever since. It started off with a few small scale models and grew into the finished product."

After seeing an article in the Telegraph & Argus about the problems of motorbike thefts in the Eccleshill police division, Jeff contacted crime reduction officer PC Jez Moore to ask for his professional opinion.

PC Moore said: "This device gives the owner manoeuvrability in confined spaces, enabling you to put your bike in previously inaccessible areas such as tight behind a car.

"There are lots of simple ways to help reduce the theft of motor vehicles, including good quality locks and chains, data tagging or installing a tracking system. I wish Jeff the best of luck with his invention.