MORE new businesses were established in County Durham and Darlington in 2018 than in any previous year, new figures show.

Despite challenges of political and economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit, 5,223 companies were registered in the county - a 28 per cent from 2017.

This brings the total number of registered companies in County Durham to 28,771, up from 26,562 at the end of 2017, which equates to 8.3 per cent growth.

The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of UK Company Formations using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.

County Durham formed the most new businesses with 2,335, followed by Darlington at 1,582 and Stockton-on-Tees with 783

In a league table showing the counties in England where most companies were formed, County Durham came in at 33.

John Korchak, director of operations at Inform Direct, said: “These record high figures for new company formations in Durham show a very positive picture for business against a background of political and economic uncertainty.

“It is clear that the county continues to provide a supportive environment, both for new business ventures and existing enterprises. It is heartening to see entrepreneurs making their mark with increasing numbers of new businesses being formed.”

To see a more detailed picture of company formations visit informdirect.co.uk/company-formations-2018/durham