A ROWING star, who was a semi-finalist in the women's single sculls at the Sydney Olympics, was on hand to open a building named in her honour yesterday.

Jackson Court next door commemorates the achievements of teenage swimming star Nicola Jackson, who was in the team which took gold in the World Swimming Championships earlier this year.

Her sporting commitments kept her way from the launch.

Therefore Alison Mowbray stepped into the limelight alone to perform the tape-cutting ceremony at Mowbray House, on a road now named Olympic Way, on the Gallowfields Trading Estate, in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

The new building which bears her name contains eight self-contained office units.

"It isn't every day that a building is named after you, and it is an even greater honour that it should be in my home town," said Ms Mowbray.

The chairman of Richmondshire District Council, Councillor Jane Metcalfe, who opened Jackson Court on Nicola's behalf, said: "The complex represents a unique opportunity to acquire quality premises on one of the area's prime industrial sites."

Yorkshire Forward, North Yorkshire County Council and the European Regional Development Fund contrib-uted towards the costs.

Firms which have taken space in the new buildings include Gnat International, Partek and First Response.