Stan Pike combined his work with his weightlifting hobby to develop a specialist product not thought to be made anywhere else in the country.

Mr Pike started making steel weights - called Kettlebells - to boost his business during the economic downturn caused by the epidemic.

Now they account for a third of his turnover at his forge in Alston, in Northumberland.

The Kettlebell weights are even being used by Newcastle Falcons Rugby Union Club.

The kettlebells have boosted Mr Pike's profits

Mr Pike - who is more used to producing pieces of hand-forged decorative ironwork and furniture - told BBC Look North the success of the product had took him by surprise.

It was made possible by a grant from economic development group One NorthEast.

"The diversification happened because of foot-and-mouth disease," said Mr Pike.

"It hit farmers around here badly but it also hit hoteliers and everyone else who worked in the tourist industry.

"The disease kept people out of the countryside so craftspeople like me were not making a living.

"This time last year I thought I was going to go out of business.

"I decided to resurrect a very old piece of equipment called the Kettlebell which was used 2000 years ago by the Gladiators.

"Everyone is into lycra and looking good these days, I like doing it the hard way and Kettlebells are certainly hard."