A tax firm in the county has been crowned the best at a major awards.

Ashford-based consultancy the Breakthrough Group was named Best Independent Tax Consultancy in the UK at the Tolley's Taxation Awards 2019.

The awards, staged at London's Park Lane Hilton, recognise the top talent in the tax industry.

The Breakthrough Group assists businesses to claim R&D (research and development) tax credits for their innovative work. To date, the company has helped 950 businesses claim £60 million in tax relief or cash pay-outs.

Founder and CEO Sue Nelson received the award from radio star Jeremy Vine during the ceremony.

She said: "We’re growing fast because our clients really appreciate the quality of our work.

“Even so, this award came as a huge shock, purely due to the prestige of the well-known firms we were up against. It just shows what a fantastic team we have. I cannot thank them enough for their hard work and genuine desire to do anything they can to help our clients.”

Started from Sue Nelson's home in April 2015, the company now has 20 locally-based staff and has already this year turned over £1 million and is on track to reach £2.5 million by the end of 2019.