CAR maker Nissan extended the new scrappage scheme, announced by the Government in Wednesday’s Budget, to include any vehicle over eight years old traded in for a car built at its Sunderland plant.

Vehicles ten years old or older qualify for the £2,000 Governmnet scrappage scheme. But Nissan yesterday said it would offer a minimum £2,000 trade-in for cars eight to ten years old against any British-built Nissan including the new Micra, Note, Qashqai or Qashqai+2.

BARCLAYS AWARDS: Entrepreneurs who have overcome adversity on the way to achieving business success are being recognised in the Barclays Trading Places Awards. The awards are open to anyone who has traded for between three months and three years, with an annual turnover of less than £1m, and who has an inspirational story to tell.

Category winners will receive £5,000 for their business, with each national finalist receiving £2,000 of computer software from Microsoft. Entries for the awards, now in their fifth year, must be made by May 22. Call 0800-0853203 or go to barclays.co.uk/tradingplaces PUNCTUAL FLIGHTS: Eastern Airways, which operates six routes from Newcastle International Airport, has for the third successive year been rated the airport’s best on-time performer. The UK regional airline operated nearly 8,500 flights last year from Newcastle, of which 90 per cent left within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time. Average delays were of just over six minutes. Easter Airways runs flights from the North-East to Southampton, Cardiff, Birmingham, Averdeen, Isle of Man and Stavanger, in Norway.

PROFITS FALL: Retailer WH Smith announced a five per cent dip in half-year earnings to £61m as sales continued to fall at its high street stores. While profits from the core retail estate were down six per cent to £47m, WH Smith said this was offset by a strong performance at its travel division, which includes outlets at airports, stations and motorway service areas.

Trading profits for the travel division increased 18 per cent to £20m, helped by recent expansion and tight cost control.