TWO North-East brothers have been named among the richest Asians in the country.

Saghir and Zahir Ahmad, who own Tyne Tees Cash & Carry, appear at 118 in the Asian Rich List 2002 with an estimated net worth of £15m.

The pair, along with brother Munir who died in November, opened their own off-licence and general dealers in Arthur's Hill, Newcastle, in the late 1960s, before establishing a warehouse in 1984, in Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough.

The food and drink business now employs more than 100 people and serves businesses ranging from corner shops to social clubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs.

Saghir, 51, who lives in Newcastle, said: "It's been a good year apart from personal losses. We lost our brother and also our mother last July.

"But it is good to appear on the list. It gives you encouragement to go for it and to have more enthusiasm. It's a family business that we built ourselves."

The rich list, produced annually as a supplement to Asian Xpress newspaper, identifies Britain's 275 wealthiest Asians and is compiled by Philip Beresford, author of the Sunday Times Rich List. It puts the combined wealth of Britain's richest Asians at £9.5bn.

The list is published on March 15 as a free supplement with Asian Xpress.