STOKE-ON-TRENT'S most colourful house has been saved at the 11th hour by a generous businessman.

Artist Steve Williams's home – known as the Painted House of Goldenhill because of the murals covering its walls – was due to be repossessed after unemployed Steve fell behind with his mortgage.

But thanks to a vigorous internet campaign to save the house, Manchester businessman Scott Fletcher heard about Steve's plight and offered to step in.

Scott, the chief executive of technology firm ANS Group, paid a month's mortgage for Steve, staving off the immediate threat of repossession. He is now hoping to help kick-start the artist's career.

Steve, who completed an art course at Newcastle College five years ago, had all but given up hope after a last-minute job interview.

The 25-year-old said: "They rang me the day after the interview to say I hadn't got the job, and I thought that was it, there was no chance. Scott had got in touch at around the same time, but I didn't expect anything.

"So then when we came to court, the mortgage company was saying that it was definitely going to be repossessed. But the person who was representing me told the court about the internet campaign, and Scott had sent a letter saying what his intentions were.

"It's amazing that he's already paid for a month's mortgage before he even met me."

The judge decided to lift the threat of repossession for at least five months, giving Steve the opportunity to prove that he will be able to meet the £360 monthly mortgage payments in future.

Steve hopes that with Scott's help he will be able to make some money out of his talents.

While he has spent the last five years filling nearly every surface of his home in Aubrey Street with artwork, commercial work has not been forthcoming.

But he is talking to Scott about producing artwork for him, and the Save the Painted House campaign has prompted other job offers.

Steve added: "Hopefully this will be the start of my art career. I think the best way forward will be to change the website from one about saving the house, to one advertising my business."

That is the sort of entrepreneurial thinking that 35-year-old Scott is hoping to develop in his new protege.

Scott, who was named North West Entrepreneur of the Year in the 2008 National Business Awards, said: "I can't draw myself at all, I'm the complete opposite to Steve. I'm a businessman, a money man, so hopefully I can mentor Steve and teach him a bit about business.

"I don't see Steve as a charity. He's going to have to do this himself."