THREE East Lancashire businesses picked up gongs in the first multicultural E3 Business awards.

More than 700 guests from the North West attended the inaugural awards night at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium on Thursday.

Winners included Roaming Roosters, in Higham, which won Sustainable Business of the Year, Designer Sofas 4 U, Blackburn, took Manufacturing Business of the Year and Bank View Smile Studios, Blackburn, won Investment in Skills.

Robina Mann, founder of Blackburn-based clothing company Amir Hosiery, received a personal achievement award. The awards were hosted and organised by Blackburn-based 1 Events Media and saw 48 finalists battle it out in 12 categories.

Managing director Mubarak Chati said: “These may be challenging econ-omic conditions but there are still many hard-working companies reporting growth and the creation of new employment. It is these unsung heroes that the E3 Awards were founded to celebrate.”