A local businessman has decided to move on from his ground working firm to take on the Newport and East Valleys franchise of Drain Doctor Plumbing Ltd, the UK's largest combined plumbing and drainage business.

Former Welsh schoolboy rugby player Robin Thomas has been running his own company for the past 17 years delivering ground works and maintenance but has decided now that the time is right to concentrate on plumbing and drainage.

Robin said: "I started the business with a loan from the bank and sheer hard work has made the company a success. My business partner has since emigrated to Canada so I bought him out and have been running the business my self.

He said: "I have been looking to take my business to the next level. While the business is growing it is difficult to keep all the balls in the air and I needed someone behind me to back me up. It is difficult to keep everyone happy and still make a profit when you are on your own.

"Drain Doctor has a proven system which offers a largely recession-proof opportunity where we can still be independent operators running our own business but with all the back-up that comes with being part of a large national organisation.

"I looked at other plumbing/drainage franchise opportunities but you don't get the same support that you do with a Drain Doctor franchise."

The Newport franchise will provide emergency drainage and plumbing services to people throughout the East Valleys including Newport, Cwmbran and Abergavenny.

Robin said: "I intend to expand the business significantly and make the franchise as big as possible for the area. Within a reasonable space of time I hope to have a staff of qualified plumbers and drainage technicians on call in vans fully equipped to deal with most plumbing and drainage problems."

Robin plans to start with one fully equipped van and then to expand the business in a sustainable way, having two or three vans within two years.