North East Business Awards 2018 LIVE: Updates from the Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside heat

Welcome to our Business Awards live coverage from the regional heat for Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside , taking place tonight at the Ramside Hall Hotel. The awards celebrate some of the best companies in the North East, with heats taking place in three parts of the region - Tyneside and Northumberland; Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside; and Teesside - and the winners will compete for the overall prizes at Hardwick Hall, near Sedgefield, on April 26. In the Durham, Sunderland and South