A Skipton-based holiday firm is celebrating after winning the first Bradford E-Entrepreneur Awards.

Welcome Cottage Holidays (WCH), which employs 250 people in Embsay, beat off competition from 50 other firms in the district.

The company's success in using a web page to boost sales proved a hit in the awards, which aim to celebrate innovative uses of new technology.

The event was organised by multi-international company Pitney-Bowes, which was co-founded in the US by Bradford man Harold Pitney in 1920.

Joint managing director of WCH, Nick Magoolagan, collected the prize at a presentation ceremony in Broomfields, yesterday.

He said: "It's great to see our hard work recognised, and we had a sneaking suspicion that with the growth we have achieved we could win.

"By winning the award we hope to raise our profile and attract the top IT and software professionals we need to continue our success."

Set up seven years ago, WCH now sells around 70 per cent (50,000) of its holidays online, and is expecting turnover of up to £30 million, with pre-tax profits of £2.4 million, this year.

President of Pitney Bowes, Patrick Keddy, said: "The overall standard has been genuinely outstanding and we are delighted to have found a company which has used the technology to create a real business opportunity. Welcome have managed to grow very quickly without losing control and are very worthy winners."

Mr Keddy also hinted the awards may become an annual event.

Bradford Chamber of Commerce president Judith Donovan said: "I think it's incredibly exciting to have a multi-national organisation come to Bradford, and not in a sentimental way but to explore the way the district's firms are pushing forward.''