Teenage entrepreneur Richard Boon is ready to go into battle with a 'dragon' in a bid to scoop a share of a £500,000 prize pot.

Mr Boon, 18, from Woodstock, is through to the finals of The Pitch, where budding business tycoons present their ideas to a panel of potential investors led by Peter Jones, a member of the team on the TV series Dragons' Den.

And as one of just two to reach the ultimate stage in the 14- to 19-year-old category, Mr Boon is confident his idea will attract a substantial slice of cash and help him pursue the dream of running his own business.

He said: "I am not just looking for funding but a partner with real expertise who can set up the company with me."

Mr Boon is keeping precise details of his invention secret until the patents are sealed, but it is in the healthcare field and was inspired by his grandfather, Douglas Bullock.

He said: "I built it to prove I could do it."

Mr Boon, a former pupil of Marlborough School in Woodstock, will make his pitch in front of an audience of 400 people in Milton Keynes next week.

The competition started with more than 100 people applying with their ideas and Mr Boon has gone through a series of presentations and a residential training week to reach this stage.

In early rounds, Mr Boon was commended for having the most entrepreneurial spirit and for being a high-flyer.