A primary school boy has invented a satchel that uses department store technology to overcome the curse of young pupils everywhere: forgetting crucial books and kit in the rush to get ready in the morning.

Liam Vijfwinkel, 11, a Dutch-Japanese boy from Kashiwa, near Tokyo, won a design competition organized by Japan’s Patent Office with his “Future Backpack”, which adapts the distinctive, stiff-sided bags carried by primary school children all across the country.