An Altrincham business leader has been invited to Buckingham Palace by the King to recognise the contribution of small businesses to the UK economy.

Co-founder of Oakwood Corporate Services, Muriel Throne, is delighted to represent her firm at the palace after receiving a royal letter.

The business, based on Ashley Road, "provide a full outsourced company secretarial compliance service which reduces administrative burden and minimises risk" for clients.

MoneySupermarket, Countrywide and JD Sports are among its clients.

Muriel said: “When I saw the envelope with the royal insignia, I was intrigued.

“When I opened it and saw the invitation, I was completely taken aback.”

Muriel also said the recognition is a "wonderful reflection of the achievements of all the team".

She left law firm Addleshaw Goddard in 2009 to set-up Oakwood with colleague Michael Harris.

Muriel said that the company is "keen on keeping the independence of the business and secure its long-term future".

Oakwood also wants to "protect the values and ethos of the business", which have helped the firm to keep growing.

Muriel added: “Oakwood has grown year-on-year since Michael and I launched it so it could be that we’re seen as a good example of a business succeeding from a standing start.

 “It might be that Oakwood is seen as a great example of a business that has gone into employee ownership and thrived.

“Or it might simply be that our graduate training programme is a noteworthy example of giving young people a clear and rewarding career path.”