16 year-old to open 'boutique hotel'

Former Limavady High School student Joshua Jackson, from the town's Kings Lane estate, looks set to be Northern Ireland's most successful teen businessmen after leasing Portcaman House in the County Antrim village at the start of January - all off his own back. The soon-to-be 17 year-old claims to have had no help from family or friends in his business dealings which have also seen the young man start up his own PR company at just 15 years-old.

"The shock hasn't hit me yet," Joshua told the Sentinel. "This is something I have always wanted to do. Getting into the hotel industry is a dream and I am glad to say I have achieved it. I'm now looking forward to turning Portcaman House into five star accommodation."

"I am due to get the keys on February 3, then it will be all go for the interior designers. We are looking at the middle of February to officially open, well in time for the peak season and the North West 200 in May."

The business prodigy, who contacted the landlord of the Priestland Road property after seeing the premises up for let, says he will transform the five bedroomed guest house into sophisticated and chic short-stay rooms for visitors. The lad, who achieved 5 C's and 3 D grades at GCSE level before moving onto college and dropping out a short while later, started up PR company BMJ Jackson Ltd whilst still at school. The Northern Ireland registered company, ran from his mum and dad's Ballykelly home, offers 24 hour "crisis management" to up and coming talent as well as photography, PR and event management. The teenager says it's from the success of this that he has been able to take-on the lease of the soon-to-be chic hotel.

"I dropped out of college last year to focus on the company, which has went from strength to strength. One of our singers, Zenita O'Neill left Northern Ireland last month to do a 12 month tour of Australia. I am also in talks now with a firm in Canada interested in buying BMJ Jackson Ltd. But nothing is concrete yet."

"No one in my family has a background in business, my father is retired and my mother is housewife and has been for most of her life. I have a lot of friends in the industry, one in particular is a prominent local businessman."

He added: "My family are very supportive of me, but they just let me get on with it. I don't think it has hit them yet either."