A Bath sign designer has secured contracts with some of the city's biggest employers within the first six months of business.

Jayson Godridge launched Freestyle Designs as a one-man venture in January and has already won the contract to produce signs for vehicles owned by Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The local authority has employed the 26-year-old to create signs for everything from lawnmowers to its vans.

Mr Godridge worked as a manager for a sign company in Bath for three and a half years and left the company shortly before it ceased trading.

He has now set up his own firm based at an industrial unit in Widcombe and said he would be relying on the experience he has gained over a 10-year career in sign-making to secure new clients and develop his business.

He said: "I have worked in the sign industry all my life and this is my first venture.

"The benefit I have is my experience and I'm not going into this blind. I have the contacts and over the years I have built up a good rapport with customers."

He said he chose to set up his new business on industrial premises with internal facilities to offer vehicle graphics all year round.

He said: "The next move will be to go to a larger premises.

"We have all got to be sensible in these economic times and over the next five years I will look to take on staff and expand.

"I could see the faults in other sign companies and I felt that no matter who I worked for I would never be able to completely change that. If I did it myself I could provide a better service."

Mr Godridge said there was a demand for his services from businesses in Bath and firms were willing to invest in their signs despite the recession.

He said: "Clothing companies especially need to grab people's attention and the only way they can do that is window displays.

"While there are businesses closing, I have also found there are new businesses moving in very quickly.

"People are taking on these premises and wanting signage mainly for promotions and to attract new business."