LOCAL inventor Sid Brown's hopes of making millions through his child-friendly toilet seat appear to have been dashed this week.

A similar product - Dr. Merry's PottyPal - has been on the shelves of Thermax Bermuda/Asthma & Allergy Relief Centre for the past year.

"We were really surprised to read the article in the Mid-Ocean News," said the company's owner and president, Jenefer Brimmer. "It's so amazing to see that he came up with the same product seven years ago.

"It's unfortunate. A lot of people have great ideas and great inventions but if they don't act on them right away, someone else will capitalise on them."

Ms Brimmer said she spotted the child-friendly seat at a product convention last year and was so impressed became the regional distributor for Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean.

"It fits right into our specialty," she said. "It comes under our child-friendly bathroom concept. We try and educate people on the environment and the importance of using environmentally-friendly products.

"When they come in, we don't just sell them what they want and (let them walk away with it), it's important to us that we do our part to educate the community, we show them how (their purchase) is helpful to the environment."

Only last week, Mr. Brown launched a public appeal through this newspaper for the $15,000 he said he needed to get his project - the Rhymbo Child-Friendly Toilet - off the ground. The money, he said, was necessary to conduct an international patent search to determine whether or not his invention was truly unique.

"It's such a fantastic idea," the 53 year old said at the time. "A child-friendly toilet. As far as I know there's nothing like it and I don't understand why people (aren't throwing money at me). It's sure to be a success."

Compared with the more popular children's toilets seats in use, Mr. Brown, who could not be reached for further comment last night, said his device would offer improved sanitation and greater safety to its tiny users.

Ms Brimmer agreed: "They're safer and much more hygienic (than traditional children's toilets)," she said. "Children can use them without feeling tense and stressed out. They don't have to worry about slipping through them. Last year, in the United States alone, there were over 4,000 cases relating to toilet accidents with small children."

Created by Dr. Thom Merry, the PottyPal has a hidden-in-the-lid, child-size seat which can be removed once toilet training is complete. It is accompanied by a PottyPal toilet training book and character and reward stickers to help reinforce training. A step stool - capable of supporting 250 pounds - and stuffed animals in the form of the character stickers may be purchased separately.

"It's been well received," said Ms Brimmer. "They've been installed at the hospital and in the airport and at Liberty Theatre - three Bermuda institutions are the first in the world to offer the PottyPal toilet.

"It's something I feel would be excellent in hotels, restaurants and any public toilet. It helps reduce the use of pampers, which are a danger to the environment. It has lots of great benefits and is a great opportunity for Bermudians to offer safety to young people."

Dr. Merry's PottyPal is priced at $55; the step stool, $16, and the stuffed character animals, $13 each. Or, they may be purchased as a package for $75. The seats are available from the Thermax Bermuda/Asthma & Allergy Relief Centre - located in the Christensen Building at 55 Union and Dundonald Streets - Toys N Stuff on Reid Street and King Bean Enterprises in St. George's.