FOUR businesses in Carlisle, Penrith, Cockermouth and Workington have each won a £10,000 advertising campaign in our Business Boost contest.

CN Group, the parent company of in-Cumbria and publisher of many of the county's newspapers, runs Business Boost to help businesses that show genuine growth potential.

Six businesses - two each in north, west and south Cumbria - win a £10,000 ad campaign and mentoring and support from our sponsors Lamont Pridmore and, in the north of the county, Bendles Solicitors.

Cumbrian Stone, in Penrith, and Bruce and Luke's Coffee, in Carlisle, are the northern winners, the former in the category for established businesses and the latter in the start-ups section.

And in west Cumbria, Hills Books of Workington and Cockermouth beauty salon Pure Touch won the same two categories.

They were chosen after shortlisted finalists pitched Dragons' Den -style to our judging panels.

CN Group’s business development director, Steve McCullough, was one of the west Cumbrian judges.

He said: "To meet such a mix of true local businesses and to learn more about them was inspirational.

"As judges, the biggest challenge we had was choosing the two winners when each and every business who had got through the the final presentations had so much to offer and such a good story to tell.

“Over the last few years of judging the Business Boost initiative I can say with confidence this year's quality was outstanding."

The two south Cumbrian winners will be announced next week.