Jason and Belle Richardson's SealStop device, born out of a smallholding frustration, has already picked up 12 awards and sales in six countries — now it's heading for prime-time television.

A device dreamed up to solve an everyday nuisance on a Pocklington smallholding is about to be pitched to some of the sharpest minds in British business.

Jason and Belle Richardson will appear on Dragons' Den this month, seeking investment for SealStop, the automatic shut-off valve they created in 2024 to stop water waste and spare gardeners the tedium of standing over a hose.

The episode airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday 27 August at 8pm, with the couple facing Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman, Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville.

Growth has followed fast. SealStop is now sold in six countries, has collected a dozen awards for sustainability and innovation, and its makers are counted among Yorkshire's fastest-rising startups.

"What started as one of those everyday frustrations on our smallholding has completely changed our lives," said Belle Richardson. "We never imagined it would lead us to building an award-winning business together and standing in front of the Dragons."

The timing could hardly be sharper. Forecasts suggest the UK faces a daily shortfall of five billion litres of water by 2050, and the Government has set households a 20 per cent reduction target to help close the gap. Against that backdrop, a simple valve solving a simple problem suddenly looks like rather more than a garden gadget.

Whether it proves enough to win over the Dragons, viewers will find out on 27 August.