Food waste recycling business Agrivert has been name the West Oxfordshire Business of the Year.; The company, based at Radford, near Chipping Norton, recycles 750,000 tonnes of organic food waste annually and generates renewable electricity for 4,500 homes at its plant near Cassington.

It also picked up the Abacus Events Green Business Award at the ceremony in front of 260 guests at Heythrop Park, Heythrop attended by Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron.

Chief executive Alexander Maddan <<ok>> said: "We have been working in West Oxfordshire for the last 18 years and have built our business by employing great people and having the courage to pioneer great ideas.

“We're very lucky that our ideas for generating electricity from food waste have come at the right time and that our partnerships with the County Council and local farmers have allowed it to come to fruition.”

Mr Cameron praised the “inspirational enterprise culture in West Oxfordshire” in a speech at the awards.

He described the finalists, sponsors and winners present as "great role models to have set up, worked in and succeeded in business."

The event raised almost £2,000 for the charity SpecialEffect which provides video game technology for severely disabled youngsters and adults.

The other winners at the awards were: Strategic Mentors Business Person of the Year: John Sharples, Low Power Radio Solutions, Witney Owen Mumford Innovation Award: DFx <<ok>> Technology, Witney Ridgeway Large Business Award, STL Communications, Witney Bloxham Mill Small Business Award: ICEoxford, <<ok>> Witney Floremus <<ok>> New Business Award: Caswell House, Curbridge Blenheim Palace Rural Business Award: Foxbury Farm, Brize Norton Urban Element Social Media Award: The Theatre, Chipping Norton Heythrop Park Tourism and Leisure Award: The Theatre, Chipping Norton Cloud 9 Community and Charity Award: Adventure Plus, Minster Lovell • The finalists in each category are automatically entered into the Oxfordshire Business Awards which take place in June.