Gain without pain?: Humberside trader says his commodities system yields results for little effort. Sue Fieldman considers his claims

DO YOU want to make more profit on your capital for less effort, with no sleepless nights?

It may sound too good to be true, but for a fee of pounds 1,100, Simon Mountford of Cliff Road, Hornsea, Humberside, will tell you all about his mechanical method for trading commodities which, he claims, is a simple way to make money.

Commodity trading has always been renowned as very risky. But according to the promotional literature sent out by Mr Mountford, he has a system 'which removes as far as possible any reliance on judgement, luck or guesswork'.

All you have to do is feed numbers into his formulae and place your orders according to the routine.

Mr Mountford uses his Alpha routine for day trading on the S & P 500 (an American index similar to the FT-SE 100), but says it can be used for commodity, or any other, trading. It draws on principles of physics - 'inertia and action-reaction plus information from candlestick charts'.

It sounds impressive, even if you do not understand what he is talking about.

'The hardest part is to stick to the method and to wait for the market to go your way,' says Mr Mountford. There will only be 50 copies of the system sold, he says, 'because there must not be too many traders operating this way, otherwise it might spoil the system's operation'.

Mr Mountford does not claim that everyone can use the scheme successfully - 'It is no more than a tool and, like any tool, needs proper use.' However, if you think you have the necessary discipline, then he will be happy to supply.

Buyers get a detailed manual covering what they need to know and also receive as much verbal advice as required.

Why is Mr Mountford giving away his secrets if they yield so much? According to the literature, it is for fun and profit - because for him commodity trading is relatively tedious and certainly lonely. By selling the system he gets to talk to some new people and, he says, he 'particularly enjoys opening eyes to the opportunities in commodity trading'.

Selling the system will also bring him a more tangible reward: 'If you had a chance to make pounds 55,000 for the sake of a few hours' work, you might be tempted yourself,' Mr Mountford said.

'Commodity trading is the perfect occupation and I have made money at it,' he said. 'I am not a millionaire, I take things a bit easier and slower. I do about eight or 10 trades a month. I live off my earnings, but I keep a lowish profile.'

He has a degree in psychology, but says you do not need qualifications to understand the scheme. Mr Mountford claims to have already sold 10, and offers to buy back the system if it fails to make a profit in a year.

He added that there was no requirement for him to be authorised under the Financial Services Act as he does not handle clients' money.

(Photograph omitted)