MANY commuters dream of swapping daily rail misery for a local job.

Now a lawyer-cum-entrepreneur is helping to make their dreams come true by launching a platform for job ads in station waiting rooms and coffee bars.

Stephen Dewar and his wife Kate, from Tunbridge Wells, thought up the idea while waiting at their local station.

They believe that jobespresso is the first recruitment business to bring employer and jobseeker together at the station.

With "reverse commuting" a key aim of Kent’s planners, Mr Dewar believes he is in the right market at the right time.

Twenty thousand passengers a week use Tunbridge Wells station alone, with a further 100,000 across the region. The new business was launched in the waiting room/coffee bar at Tunbridge Wells.

Mr Dewar has refurbished the room and installed large glazed cabinets holding up to 200 job cards as well as advertisements for training, coaching and recruitment services.

Employers notify vacancies via website and job cards are created for display at the station.

The website, www.jobespresso.com, allows candidates to register and post their CVs online, receive daily email alerts of appropriate jobs and enables them to apply direct to the agent or employer.

Mr Dewar has signed up several local employers, including AXA PPP, the healthcare insurance group, and the Freight Transport Association. Recruitment agencies also use the service.

South Eastern Trains, perhaps surprisingly in view of possible lost ticket revenue from passengers finding local jobs, has given its blessing.

Mr Dewar plans to extend the scheme to other commuter stations, including Ashford and Bromley, and further afield.

Mr Dewar said: "Surely the main thing to advertise to commuters is jobs. Trains don’t always run on time, conditions aren’t always favourable and you get fed up with your journey.

"Some want to stop the daily grind to London. They want to go to sports day or just change their work/life balance.

"Kent’s a great place to live and work. We offer the first step."

Mr Dewar is a commercial lawyer who has helped many entrepreneurs set up in business. But he wanted to know more about the processes and feelings involved in going it alone so that he could give even better advice.

"The challenge was to come up with an idea, to start a business from scratch, see what’s involved, so that I would learn what other business people go through, what entrepreneurs go through."