A NORTH-EAST entrepreneur who founded a business support group that has helped more than 26,000 people across the UK has won a national award.

Terry Owens, founder of InBiz, was awarded the overall champion enterprise supporter accolade at the SFEDI advisory body's Enterprise Support Awards.

Mr Owens founded the organisation 18 years ago on Teesside, and now has 50 branches across the UK.

Statistics from InBiz show that it has helped more than 26,000 people set up businesses, 80 per cent of which are still trading after two years.

The award came a year after Mr Owens was selected to receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

He said he was delighted to be named overall winner at the SFEDI awards.

"InBiz became a national success story after we started up in the North-East, and I continue to believe passionately that we must provide enterprise support to people who have a mission to use their full potential and set up their own business .

"I'm still very much involved not only with InBiz, but with the campaign to urge the Government for more help for small business start-ups.

"It is essential not only for individuals but for the economy that we get it right."