IN today's competitive world, people in business can never afford to stand still.

As well as sound economic sense, a constant flow of ideas and innovation is needed to keep firms on top in their field.

And as East Lancashire has adapted to cope with the decline of traditional industries, many entrepreneurs have shown real initiative and ingenuity.

The result is that we boast some spectacular success stories in many different fields as witnessed by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's own business awards ceremony a week ago today which showcased examples of real talent and enterprise.

Businessman Gary Davis, managing director of Blackburn-based Forward Freight Services, shows how those with flair can turn all manner of ideas into successful realities.

He has started bottling the spring water found 83 metres under his farm at Deerplay, near Burnley, which meets all the EC criteria to be called "natural pure water".

In a move of which Derek Trotter would have surely been proud, Gary has launched the pukka product under the name 'Peckam Springs'.

He has been forced to drop the 'h' to keep on the right side of the Patent Office.

And with the bottled water even going on sale in Del Boy's home patch of South East London, it could well be that this time next year Gary and his family will all be millionaires!