ONE by one the five 'dragons' of TV's Dragons' Den declared "I'm out" when a disappointed Egremont mother Lorraine Young stood before them asking for a £30,000 investment in a business that sells chewing aids for teething babies.

Lorraine joined Dundee-based Jenny McLaughlan, who originated the business, to hear the turn-downs one by one on the basis they had failed to provide detail behind the figures.

But though their pitch was unsuccessful their appearance on the BBC2 Sunday night slot has resulted in a hike in sales, lots of positive feedback and hundreds of messages from well-wishers and would-be investors. Even an accountant emailed to say "Your figures were right."

"Going on the programme was terrifying but wonderful," said Lorraine, 33, of Station Close. "It has given the produce fantastic exposure and that's worth a lot."

Lorraine became interested in the brand when she was looking for something for her autistic daughter Jamie to chew on. She discovered Jenny's products which were ideal for Jamie's needs.

The two women appeared on the popular show on Sunday night asking for investment to fund "a promotional push" for a range of products developed by Jenny. They offered a 15% share in the business which sells Gumigem (a range of silicone jewellery for adults that babies can chew on), Chewigem (jewellery for children with sensory needs who need to chew), and Moozels, children's clothing.

She said: "I first got involved with Jenny in 2011. My daughter, Jamie had a need to chew, and would chew on her sleeves. We were told that fabric really wasn’t suitable because it absorbed saliva and that she was at risk of becoming dehydrated.

"The great thing with these products is that though they don't last forever they can be washed and are hygienic. I thought it was really cool stuff so I suggested to Jenny the market could be expanded.

"Through this I am now employed to do social media and marketing. I work mainly from home which is good for me as it enables me to look after my daughter.

"Although we got a lot of positive feedback from the Dragons unfortunately we weren't able to secure the investment but I'd like to think that there might be someone else out there who saw the programme and wants to get in touch. We've put the product out there and hopefully the message begins to spread around."

It is an online business, contacted via gumigem.co.uk or chewigem.co.uk, with the products being manufactured in China.

"We really wanted Deborah Meaden on board. We would like to get into Mothercare and she's in all the shops. It was disappointing, but a very positive experience."

Lorraine actually watched the programme while staying at a B & B in Blackpool. Her son, Joe, aged nine, who plays for Cleator Moor Celtic, was competing in a weekend  football tournament there. "It was mad, all the other guests gathered to watch the programme with us, and took us out afterwards!"

She told the Dragons she was selling into 15 countries and had sold 100,000 units last year with a turnover of £288,000 and a net profit of £16,000. There was concern from the Dragons that Jenny had given the franchise to the USA "at a knockdown price". And Dragon Nick Jenkins thought the product range was confused, there was no coherence. "You need more than £30,000," he said. "It will make you a living but I can't see how I can turn it into a significant business."