VETERAN inventor Bob Channon hopes his latest creation could feature in the new James Bond film.

The producers of the latest 007 film are keen to use Mr Channon's tiny, remote-control surveillance helicopter for stunt filming in the secret agent's next cinema outing.

But the Nitrohawk helicopter, which took the Corsham-based engineer 10 years to develop and weighs just 15kg, is already proving successful in more serious and commercial roles.

The miniature aircraft, capable of carrying high-tech surveillance equipment, is in demand for commercial uses such as land and building surveys.

And Mr Channon also hopes his creation could help clear up anti-personnel landmines in global troublespots.

He is in talks with Warminster-based Specialist Gurkha Services, which specialises in the removal of landmines, and other unexploded objects.

The Nitrohawk, which is under two metres in length, can get as close as six feet to an object to video it, sending information back to a monitor up to a mile away.

This means it could identify places where landmines are, reducing the risk to those on the ground with the dangerous job of removing them.

Film producers are keen to use the £25,000 helicopter as its 156mph top speed makes it ideal for close-up filming of high-speed stunts.

"The camera works independently of the helicopter. It's a two-man operation, one person does the flying while the other can be looking at what is coming back through the monitor," said Mr Channon.

"I think it's going to be used for the next Bond film."

As well as his new helicopter, Mr Channon is the man behind a special infusion pump system for diabetics.

A diabetic himself, he invented the pump more than 20 years ago and it is still in use today.