A sweet seller and old vehicle restorer says he has no plans to slow down his life in the sugary fast lane.

Former engineer Paul Weeks started his business selling sweet treats out of a tricycle nearly 25 years ago.

Since then, he has amassed a large collection of classic vehicles from which he sells all types of old-fashioned candy treats.

The 61-year-old fell into his unusual trade by accident when he showed the ramshackle DOT delivery tricycle he had just bought to his wife, Nina.

He said: “When I got the DOT I brought it home and my wife said, ‘what are you going to do with that?’ And I replied that I was going to restore it and sell toffee apples – I was joking, of course. But then I restored it and I thought I would do just that.

“A lady over the road, an old Cockney Londoner, had this recipe that had been handed down to her and that’s the recipe we still use today.”

The risky business venture paid off and it’s been a satisfying couple of decades for Paul, with regular bookings at weddings, parties and functions.

Last June, he leased a hut on Minster Leas from the council, selling everything from sweet tobacco and rhubarb and custard sweets to smoothies and an all-new American candy range.

On top of his DOT three-wheeler, he has a 1931 Raleigh Karryall, a 1970s ice cream trike, a 1920s Warwick cart and a 1971 Citroen H van, which he travelled to France to buy.

He has no plans to slow down on the restoration work, recently visiting the Isle of Wight to buy a bubble car.

Paul says he is lucky that for much of his life he has got to combine two of his favourite things – cool vehicles and tasty snacks, while also bringing joy to the children who have never seen such a wonderful sweet shop.

Does he feel a little guilty about the rotten teeth some of them might get? Paul said: “We do toffee apples which have apples in them – that’s the healthy bit! And what would life as a child be without sweets?”

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