A business advisor has won a regional award for her enterprising work with local young people.

Barbara Peacock has become the first North-East winner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants' Young Enterprise Business Advisor Award.

The scheme recognises the work of those who give up their time to help teenagers develop their business ideas.

Ms Peacock was nominated by pupils at Thornaby Community School, on Teesside, where she helped launch a young enterprise project.

Working with business studies teacher Christine Everett, she advised pupils who started their own company, Thornaby Celebration Services, specialising in gift tags.

She said: "The young achievers did really well and managed to obtain sponsorship for Burger King in Stockton for the Young Enterprise registration fee.

"They also raised more than £100 to fund the business by organising a raffle."

The teenagers even gave up one of their Saturdays to take part in a commercial trade fair at Preston Hall, near Stockton, where they sold their goods.

Ms Peacock has been a Young Enterprise business advisor for six years. She joined the Five Lamps Organisation in Thornaby 12 months ago as a business development officer, running a project backed by the Small Business Service's Phoenix Fund.