A SHORTLIST of six names has been drawn up for this year's eagerly-anticipated Northern Echo Lifetime of Achievement Award.

A panel of judges from the Tees Valley will meet in secret later this month to choose the winner from the shortlist.

But the winner will have to wait until the announcement at the Tees Valley Business Show on October 25 to find out who they are. They will receive their award from The Northern Echo's editor, Peter Barron at the event, to be held at the Tall Trees Hotel in Yarm.

Already, more than 300 business people from across the area have signed up for the event, organised by The Northern Echo's Tees Valley In Business magazine and Darlington Business Venture.

The main sponsors of the event are law firm Dickinson Dees, with other sponsors including regional development agency One NorthEast, Century Radio, Keith Robinson & Co, Tilly Bailey and Irvine, Nattrass and Northumbria University.

The principal speaker will be Christopher Garnett, chief executive of GNER, who will deliver this year's Tees Valley Business Lecture.

The event will also feature ntl marketing development manager Jerry Roest, and BBC Radio Cleveland's Alan Wright as after-dinner speaker.

Last year's winner of the Lifetime of Achievement Award was Les Bell, who originally set up Teesside Dairies with a £1,000 loan from his father in 1957.

He is now one the area's top business figures, having created a further four businesses, employing more than 2,000 people.

Tickets for the business show cost £55 per person, plus VAT, and include a champagne reception and five-course dinner.

Ticket reservations can be made on (01325) 480891.