GLOBE-TROTTING Julie Lightfoot has won an award for her work in boosting sales for a North-East company.

Ms Lightfoot, 33, has been named as Best Woman in International Trade in this year's North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.

She travels the world as managing director, making sales for Solar Solve Marine, of St Hilda Industrial Estate, South Shields, South Tyneside.

The family-owned firm, which was started by her father, John, makes anti-glare sunscreens for ships' navigation bridge windows.

In the past year, Ms Lightfoot has travelled to many countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Greece and the US, and won orders in the face of stiff competition.

She said: "I was delighted to win this award especially as I work in an industry which is dominated by men. I have been to a lot of countries in the past few months and I think the face-to-face contact has helped the firm to win orders from new customers."

The Best Woman in International Trade award was sponsored by Trade Partners UK (TPUK), the Government organisation that provides support services for UK companies trading overseas.

The company, which has been exporting and manufacturing for the marine industry since 1988, won its first order from a major shipbuilder in China earlier this year.

This followed work by the company on the Chinese market and advice from TPUK, in how best to break into that market.

The awards are partly financed by the European Social Fund, sponsored by Barclays through the Barclays Centre for Enterprise, and supported by the North-East Chamber of Commerce and One NorthEast.