TWO North East companies last night picked up national stock market awards at the 18th annual AIM awards dinner, in London.

South Shields based Utilitywise picked up the award for Best Use of AIM and Robert Forrester of Gateshead based Vertu Motors won Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by PwC.

The awards were in association with Ford Sinclair.

Paul Mankin, corporate finance partner at PwC in Newcastle said: “The surge in AIM proceeds year on year is further evidence of the fair weather economic conditions which have been on the horizon for so long.

"With established iconic companies like ASOS and Mulberry gracing the AIM exchange alongside new trailblazers like WANdisco and Clinigen, it’s clear that entrants old and new have style and substance.

“In the past there have been occasional comments that companies on AIM suffer from poor governance. PwC research has shown this is not the case. Many companies choose to comply voluntarily with the code adhered to by plcs in the FTSE 350.

“It’s fair to say that AIM is prospering, but we need to ensure that we carry on this upward trajectory by providing the springboard for more high-growth companies- both homegrown and international- to evolve. This can only be achieved by making the UK and its capital markets as attractive as possible.”