Twelve businesses, all local to Altrincham, have got together to form a group aimed specifically at assisting start-ups and small businesses in the Altrincham area.

An event was held recently at Altrincham Town Hall to mark the launch and fuests included Neil Clough of the BBC's Apprentice and Cllr Sean Anstee, leader of Trafford Council.

More than 70 people attended the event, which was sponsored by Altrincham solicitor, McHale & Co.

The services on offer range from accountancy to banking and from marketing to website development.

David Bellin, founder of the group, said: “ The town of Altrincham has recently undergone a massive redevelopment and an increasing number of people are looking to run local businesses.

"We believe that the launch of this group can assist many along the way.

"We were particularly delighted to have our local BBC Apprentice, Neil Clough attend the launch together with the support from the leader of Trafford Council.”

The group has launched a website, startupbusinessservices.co.uk, where all the information can be found.

The team will be offering one-to-one consultations together with a whole range of forthcoming events, including mentoring, workshops and question and answer sessions.

The next event will be held on Thursday ,November 13, at the Cresta Court hotel. Full details can be found on the website.