Record numbers of entries are pouring in for this year's Oxfordshire Business of the Year Awards.

Entries have already topped the 160 mark, well ahead of last year's figure, with more than three weeks to go to the deadline for entries.

Alex Gould, of the Heart of England Training and Enterprise Council, said: "Things are looking very good, especially when you consider that we still have three and half weeks left until the deadline for entries.

"The new category for best website is proving to be popular, with 23 companies entering so far."

A quarter of the entries so far have been from Oxford, followed by Witney, Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Chipping Norton, Kidlington, Wallingford and Didcot.

New sponsors for this year include fast-growing computer company Torex, of Stonesfield, and the Learning and Skills Council for Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

The LSC will take over responsibility from the Abingdon-based Heart of England Training and Enterprise Council for the planning and funding of all post-16 education and training from April.

The best website category will be sponsored by Torex and Lloyds TSB. Other categories include innovation, sponsored by the Oxford Mail's sister paper The Oxford Times, and radio station FOX FM; customer care, sponsored by Unipart and Four Pillars Hotels; new business, sponsored by Business Link Heart of England and law firm Darbys Mallam Lewis; developing people, sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council and business adviser Grant Thornton and the overall categories of Oxfordshire business and business person of the year.

The closing date for entries is Friday, March 16.

To enter or nominate a company for an award, call 01235 468000 or look at www.oxfordshirebusiness awards.co.uk, which contains an online entry form.