The company behind one of the biggest-selling albums of the year has presented triple platinum discs to businesses that helped it keep up with the demand.

Andrew Bowles, UK manager of Angmering-based Hot Records, made a presentation to village sub-postmaster Howard Lilly and wife Rebecca, who handled more than 900,000 copies of the album Songbird by the late US singer Eva Cassidy.

Discs were also presented to Nick Harvey, of Littlehampton-based Michael Gorton Design, and Gary Burnley, of Marsh Labels, of Southwick.

The success of Songbird put Hot Records at the top of the chart of independent record labels worldwide.

Mr Bowles said: "The help we have had to meet he demand for the album has been outstanding. People were prepared to put themselves out for us and we felt they should be part of the success."

Hot Records heard of Eva's music through its American contacts and has distribution rights for the world, excluding the United States.

In the UK, the singer's music soared in popularity after Hot Records managed to get the artist a playing on Radio 2.

She has been described as the white girl with a black voice and has been praised by Terry Wogan, Sir John Mills and Michael Parkinson.

The album topped the charts, making it the first self-distributed album by an independent label to get to the No.1 slot.

Eva died of cancer aged 33 in 1996, just as her career in music was about to take off.

Another of Eva's albums handled by Hot Records, Time After Time, is on its way towards selling 100,000 copies.

Bex Delve, manager of the company's Angmering offices, said a vinyl version of the album would be in shops soon.