LOW-fat ice creams made by a North Yorkshire company have the competition licked.

Sales of Richmond Ice Cream's Skinny Cow brand are outstripping all other healthy ice cream products.

Figures for the 12 weeks ending April 16 showed the range accounted for 21.5 per cent of the total "healthy" ice cream market, beating brands such as Weight Watchers, Blue Ribbon Light and Carte D'or Light.

Kate Needham, marketing director at Richmond Ice Cream, said: "Cornering a significant portion of the healthy market in such a short space of time is a major endorsement for the Skinny Cow brand."

Its parent company, Richmond Food, recently posted pre-tax profits of £1.86m for the half-year ending in March.

It employs about 950 people at five UK sites, including Europe's biggest ice cream factory at Leeming Bar, near Northallerton. It is the largest ice cream wholesaler in the UK in volume and sales, with a market share of 34 per cent.

In its first year of sales, Skinny Cow contributed £3.5m to Richmond's turnover. This year, sales are expected to be more than £15m.

James Lambert, chief executive, said: "We are finding that 20 per cent of the people who buy the product don't buy regular ice cream, because they perceive it as not being healthy enough. It is very important for the supermarkets that ice cream is seen to be innovative in bringing new people into frozen food, which is a difficult area for retailers."

The company is launching a £1m advertising and marketing campaign for Skinny Cow, with the catch phrase "No Excuse Needed".

The range, which includes tubs, cones and sticks, contains less than five per cent fat and is low in calories.