More than 1,600 entrepreneurs started their own business in Brighton and Hove during the first half of the year.

The figure has risen by a third from 1,200 start-ups during the same period last year.

For every 10,000 adults in Brighton and Hove, 101 companies were launched, compared with a national average of 90.

The statistics, compiled by Barclays, show entrepreneurial activity in the city is higher than in Sussex as a whole.

The number of start-ups per 10,000 adults was 91 in East Sussex and 93 in West Sussex.

Lynne Pulman, area manager for small business in Brighton, comments: "These are excellent results for Brighton and Hove and show the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the area.

"With the local economy still doing well there is a strong demand for services which provide many opportunities for people who have the initiative and drive to start their own business."

According to the figures, 288,000 new firms started up in the UK in the first six months of 2004, almost a quarter more than in the same period last year. This is the highest level recorded since Barclays started tracking the market in 1988.

The south-east is one of the top hotspots outside London, with 46,000 new businesses opening.

The hotel and catering industry had the fastest growth rate in start-ups between the two periods, at more than 70 per cent.

Friday September 03, 2004