A North-East renewable energy company has won an industry award.

Home Solar Saver, based in Consett, County Durham, supplies and installs solar power equipment and picked up an award from the British Standards Institution for the quality of its management processes.

The firm was set up by husband and wife team Ian and Lindsey Reed.

Mr Reed said: “We wanted to achieve this before adopting the Government’s ‘Green Deal’ energy scheme which will require careful and planned management.”

SALES DROP: High street retailer Laura Ashley says it will overhaul its fashion ranges after seeing its first drop in annual clothing sales for five years.

The company, which has shops in Durham, Darlington, Middlesbrough and Stockton, said like-for-like fashion sales fell 4.8 per cent last year.

However, it revealed group-wide like-for-like sales rose by two per cent in the year to January 26, with furniture sales up 1.4 per cent.

The group has 212 UK stores and 266 international franchised outlets.

OIL FIELDS: A consortium of oil companies will invest more than £330m in an appraisal drilling programme, which could lead to further development of a large Atlantic field.

The BP-led consortium said drilling was already underway on the first of five wells planned over the next two years at Clair, west of Shetland.

The company, who is being partnered by Shell, ConocoPhillips and Chevron on the drilling programme, said up to 12 wells could be drilled depending on the results.

SERVICES RISE: The UK's transport, hotel and restaurant sectors have grown at their fastest pace for five months, according to new figures.

The Office for National Statistics said output had risen by 0.3 per cent in January from December, and compared with 12 months ago, the services sector had increased by 0.8 per cent.

The largest contributions came from transport and financial services.

HOUSE SALES: House prices in the UK have risen during the last 12 months, a new survey has revealed.

Building society Nationwide said prices were up 0.8 per cent in March, which was the first annual increase since February 2012.

It said the average UK home is now worth £164,630, with buyers helped by lower mortgage costs and the better job market.

Properties in London saw the highest increases, with homes in Yorkshire and Humberside suffering the biggest drop in prices.