ENTREPRENEUR Helen James is using the latest in mobile phone technology to allow shops, restaurants and other businesses to secure last-minute deals at the click of a button.

The 37-year-old from Sunderland has entered the leisure daily deals market with her mobile app Drop Your Hat after realising that local businesses had little means of alerting the public to final availability.

Businesses in Sunderland and South Shields can post deals at the eleventh hour in order to tempt customers who can then book or buy directly from the business.

The mobile app, which was developed by Gospelware in Gateshead, also differs from other deal services by allowing businesses to end the offer once they reach maximum capacity, solving the problem of overbooking and allowing them to attract only the custom that they need.

The app, which is available free of charge at www.dropyourhat.com for android and iPhone, also provides last-minute ideas for days and evenings out. James, who is based at the Software Hatchery at the University of Sunderland, is planning to roll out the service across the UK as it grows in popularity.

Businesses currently subscribed to the service include Customs House theatre and cinema, Tribeca Hair Design and French restaurant D’acqua, with Helen looking to double the size of the business in the next 12 months.