FOUR North East business leaders missed out on taking the honours at the national final of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards last night.

The quartet had travelled to London in the hope of clinching the national title after being named winners in the Northern final of the prestigious competition.

But Andrew Hodgson of Wallsend engineering firm SMD, Wayne Edy of County Durham sports footwear specialists inov-8, Bill Scott of Teesside-based Wilton Engineering and Margaret Elliott of Sunderland Care Home Associates missed out in last night’s prestigious finale at the Hilton on Park Lane.

There was success for the North, however, with Bet Fred founder Fred Done claiming the title of Master Entrepreneur of the Year. Done started his business with just one shop in 1967 and today the Warrington-based firm is the world’s largest independent bookmaker.

Lance Uggla, of global financial information services company Markit, was crowned Overall UK Entrepreneur of the Year at the event.