Yorkshire exporters are the best in the country when it comes to generating overseas sales growth, according to a new report.

More than half of Yorkshire firms have experienced an increase in export sales in the last six months, according to the Business in Britain Report from Lloyds TSB Corporate.

The figure is the highest anywhere in the country and bucks the trend in the UK as a whole.

Yorkshire exporters also reported the lowest percentage of firms in the country experiencing a decrease in sales (19 per cent), with figures showing a significant improvement from six months ago when 26 per cent reported a decrease.

Trade has been particularly strong with exports to areas outside the euro zone. And exporters in the region are optimistic about the prospects for the next six months.

Geoff Lloyd, regional international relationship manager at Lloyds TSB corporate in Yorkshire, said: "Yorkshire firms are proving to be the most productive in the country when it comes to exporting."