A FREELANCE designer who relocated to West Devon a year ago has found his new surroundings have inspired him to expand his conventional work to incorporate his passion for motorbikes.

Since moving to Okehampton and establishing his own design company, Five by Five, Rob Cunnington, 36, has been developing his skills further by designing customised motorbikes ? choppers ? in his spare time and displaying them on the internet.

Rob has been contacted by interested parties in the USA who want to work with him to design and create the machines. He said bike enthusiasts in Colordao Springs and Florida were among those who had e-mailed him after seeing the chopper designs.

A year ago, Leicesterborn Rob had a vision, to leave the rat-race of Milton Keynes, move to Devon and work for himself as a 3D freelancer.

It was after returning from the annual holiday to Devon in the glorious heatwave of July last year, that he decided to throw caution to the wind, told his wife Emma to put the house on the market and handed in his notice, leaving himself with potentially no income and homeless.

Emma who was born and bred in Tavistock and whose family have been in Devon for generations, supported the decision and while working his notice, the couple traipsed back and forth until they finally found a house which had a spare room from which to work.

In order to afford this, they cashed in everything they had, including Rob?s beloved motorbike and every spare penny was put into the move and getting the business up and running. Rob even took a part-time job as a postman to help pay the bills until the business took off.

The company name Five by Five, was chosen because it means ?everything is okay? in radio code.

Rob said: ?I don?t look back; instead of looking at the bumper of the car in front every morning and evening, I now sit and look out at the glorious view I have over the north of Dartmoor. Because of the technology, I have been able to do this without disruption to clients.?

Rob said he had ridden motorbikes for many years and combining his career with his love of bikes was ?a dream come true?.

When asked if he would go back, Rob said: ?Not in a million years; best thing I ever did, I would recommend anyone to do the same.?

Rob has 20 years? experience in designs for the point of sale industry and has won several design awards for his work.

You can see Rob?s design work for yourself on http://www.five-by-five.co.uk">www.five-by-five.co.uk