MOTHER-of-two Geraldine Cocker is not being allowed to keep mum about her latest pioneering enterprise.

She has reached the national finals of a business awards competition with the Redcar, east Cleveland software and IT solutions business she formed in 1994.

Expanding her company, Data Images and Solutions, into software development, she is now launching an innovative piece of software which she designed herself. It will soon be in use by a major chemical company.

Mrs Cocker has reached the national finals of the T-Mobile and Sunday Express Women Mean Business Awards, designed to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of enterprising business women.

Patrick Barrow, spokesman for telephone company, T-Mobile, said that Mrs Cocker's company was typical of the high quality of entries in the competition.

He said: "Data Images and Solutions has shown an immense talent for spotting a business opportunity and acting upon it with determination, innovation and flair.