WHEN Kirsty Peters, 45, saw a video on Facebook about cardboard tents she immediately thought it a business opportunity.

The film was put on social media by KarTent in the Netherlands who had been selling their cardboard tents to festivals against the background of organisers not wishing to be left with unrecyclable tents.

"They can be upcycled after the event," she said, "by turning them into recycle waste bins.

"When I saw the video I contacted the company and said I was interested in being a distributor in the UK."

Following a meeting with the firm in Holland she signed up to distribute the novel tents starting next year in time for the summer festival season.

She said it was a bit late for this year as she only saw the video in April and has just agreed on the deal.

The BBC's One Show contacted her last month and she appeared on the programme to demonstrate the tents.

"The tents are not for consumers as one-offs but for festivals who will buy 100 at a time to pre-pitch them," she said, "I will send a team to set them up and also supply bedding and a mattress so they are ready for the festival goer who will have paid for their ticket to include a KarTent."

Made from untreated cardboard she said the tents are an eco-friendly solution for festivals who can end up with hundreds of abandoned tents afterwards.

KarTent was invented by two young Dutch entrepreneurs who say they have already sold 20,000 of the tents.

Mrs Peters said she doesn't stock the tents as they take up space but keeps samples to demonstrate to potential buyers.

"It's not just festivals who are interested," she said, "but any large events such as sports meetings and even wedding venues where large numbers of guests need accommodation."

She said despite the tents being made of cardboard they can withstand rain and moisture for several days.