BUSINESS leaders have stepped into the breach left by advisory service Business Link, which closed yesterday.

The organisation, that supported small and medium sized businesses across the region, has been reduced to a website only service following funding cuts.

Businesses wondering who they can call for assistance in its absence have been urged to access the network of support that is available throughout the region.

Shaun Watts, York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) member and director of the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "There are at least 50 business forums in our area, including my Chamber, the Institute of Directors, the Federation of Small Businesses, Forward Ladies and many more.

"Between them they provide a huge range of services. The LEP aims to support the networks that businesses themselves are choosing, to ensure that our business community is fantastically networked. By doing so were creating a robust and resilient business support network."

The LEP is developing a searchable database of the regions business networks, which will be launched on its new website in the new year.