Plastic Fantastic

Maurice Ward is a Hartlepool hairdresser. He is also the inventor of a substance that can withstand any amount of heat, while remaining cool. The implications for science and industry are limitless. Ward, his wife and his daughter know the formula, and he is well aware of the value of his invention, which has been christened Starlite. This means that he is also extremely cagey about revealing anything that might compromise his control over it. In turn, this makes it impossible for Starlite to be independently tested, patented or exploited. QED follows Ward on a trip to talk to scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the USA, who realise the implications of Starlite for space travel. Ward is willing to wait for the right deal - how many millions should tempt him to sign away the secret?