A former tabloid sub-editor is using his design skills for a new business venture.

James McIvor started with the Eastwood Extra and later the Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs Herald before spending ten years at the Scottish Sun, in Glasgow.

After designing countless mock front pages for departing colleagues he decided that there was money to be made in the venture so set up Scooped!.

James started generating business among friends but had to do the page ones during his free time away from the paper.

He was receiving so many orders that he eventually took the plunge and quit the Scottish Sun last autumn to run the business full time.

He told holdthefrontpage: “I’ve been working on this since 2005. I set it up almost as a hobby.

“I kept being asked by friends and family to do these front pages.

“In the past year I begun to see the potential as orders were coming in from all over the UK.

“I realised if I went for it full time, I could really go for it. It was definitely a leap of faith to leave the paper.”

Scooped! now has six different templates which can be uniquely geared towards each individual and occasion.

One of James’ bigger orders was for a four-page newspaper about a bride and groom to be placed on every table at their wedding.

He has also set up a licence agreement with Derby County FC to do three different pages for fans of the club in which he can quote manager Paul Jewell and use the club’s emblem.

James is currently in negotiations with both Preston North End and Falkirk FC to set up similar agreements and hopes to one day sign up big clubs such as Celtic and Rangers.