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Britain's only deckchair manufacturer is working flat out this summer due to the glorious weather and rising temperatures.

Stephen Davies, 54, designs and builds the classic sun loungers which are so in demand they are snapped up for use on most beaches across the country.

His Portsmouth business sells several thousand of the traditional recliners every year and is doing a roaring trade during this seaside season thanks to the heatwaves.

No time to lounge around this year: Stephen Davies has turned his love of the seaside stalwart into a thriving business that now numbers Liberty, Conran and even Fred Perry amongst his customers

Stephen's passion for the deckchair began in 1981 when he was a student, and used to work as a beach attendant.

After university he struggled to find work and instead launched his own business renting the seats out to members of the public.

He then bought two old furniture manufacturing machines dating back to before the Second World War, that had been altered to make deckchairs.

Branching into clothing: Fred Perry stock shirts based on traditional deckchair patterns

Over the last 20 years Stephen has refined the process and he is now the only producer of them in the UK.

He has worked with designers including Conran and Liberty to produce chairs and has even worked with Fred Perry to create a stripe and colour for a range of their clothing.

Stephen said: 'It began in 1981 when I was at the Portsmouth Polytechnic and I worked as a beach attended throughout the summers and really enjoyed it.

'After university I struggled to find work and didn't know what to do, so I applied through the council and set up a business renting out deckchairs to people.

Seaside chic: Stephen has also lent his deckchair design to making accessories like these bags

'After about a year the chairs were getting ropey but new ones were really expensive, and then I heard about some old machines that were going.

'I put the machines in a rented workshop and started trying making the deckchairs myself, I eventually got them going and the first one took three weeks to do.

'I started selling them to local councils across the country and since then it has gone from strength to strength.

'When I first started selling deckchairs it was something that was on the decline because since the 1960s package holidays had taken over.

Iconic red stripes: A model wears one of the new Fred Perry designs

Turning back the clock: Stephen as a deckchair attendant on Southsea beach in 1983

'People were leaving holidays at seaside resorts like Brighton and Blackpool in favour of trips to Spain, usually Benidorm.

'The resorts were almost preserved as they were and feel like they have been in a time warp and that's why English seasides are so lovely.

'With the nice weather I think we could see a boom in sales, especially as they seem to appeal to the younger generation now which could be because of the vintage trend.

Folding chairs date back to the Bronze Age and were also used in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

The modern day deckchair got its name as they were originally used on ocean liner decks in the 1860s.