COMPUTER systems business owners Hilary Kinnair and Philip Tompkinson have been named as the North's Shell LiveWIRE young entrepreneurs of the year.

Ms Kinnair, 24, from Sunderland, and Mr Tompkinson, 29, from Middlesbrough, run I2B, at Sunderland Enterprise Park.

They won the £1,000 first prize in the Northern region final, and take their place in the national final in London, to be held on June 18.

The Shell awards were established to help young people start their own businesses.

Ms Kinnair and Mr Tompkinson spotted a gap in the market while working for an information technology company, and decided to start their own business.

Ms Kinnair said: "We hope that within ten years we will be a well-known name throughout the UK and mainland Europe."

Fons Classen, of Shell UK, said: "The business has outstanding potential."

The most enterprising business award went to Erika Harman, 31, of Brough. She won £750 for her mobile catering firm, Hungry Henry's.

Mark English, 27, from South Shields, South Tyneside, received a £500 cheque for his business Provedia Ltd, which uses technology to provide product design services.