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A teenage entrepreneur who has bowled over business chiefs by raking in £14,000 through a 'black market' school tuck shop has been offered an internship at a top firm.

Budding businessman Tommie Rose, 15, has made a fortune by selling treats to students at Salford's Buile Hill High School.

He intends to spend the cash on his university fees.

Despite his business empire being under threat after the school threatened to suspend him for breaching its strict healthy-eating policy, things are looking rosy for Tommie.

Tommie, from Ordsall, started selling snacks at school three years ago after being inspired by TV shows Dragon's Den and The Apprentice.

(Image: Sean Hansford)

After the M.E.N reported how his business had landed him in hot water with teachers, Dragons Den entrepreneurs Duncan Bannatyne and Deborah Meaden took to Twitter to show their support for the 15-year-old.

Stockport-born managing director of Swiscot Group, Vikas Shah, who started a web design company at the start of the dotcom bubble when he was just 14, also backed Tommie - as did entrepreneur Dave Fishwick, from the TV show Bank of Dave.

And his first job offer has come in just hours after his story emerged.

Simon Swan, has offered him an internship at his recruitment firm Hiring-Hub, which connects job-hunters with recruitment agencies via the web.

Simon, who co-founded the Manchester firm, said: "We definitely want to have a conversation with Tommie and look at offering him an internship.

(Image: Sean Hansford)

"We take young people graduates and people on apprenticeships.

"Tommie has obviously got a spark about him.

"We want to see what he's all about and if he would fit in.

"I get frustrated when schools punish people for having entrepreneurial spirit."

After hearing the news, Tommie said: "I'm grateful for the support.

"Duncan Bannatyne started like me - selling things out of one ice cream van.

"Richard Branson sold CDs out of his garage.

"They all started the same way - we're very similar.

"I'm glad I've been offered something.

"That's what I wanted to happen in the long-term.

"It's a couple of years until I go to university.

Dad Gary, 33, said: "For him to be offered this is amazing.

"I'm absolutely flabbergasted."