A RECORD number of new businesses were established in Oxfordshire during 2019.

According to research by Inform Direct, using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics, 5,087 new companies were registered in the county.

This tops any other year including 2018, when 4,631 companies were registered.

John Korchak, director of operations at Inform Direct, said: "Reporting a record year for new company formations in Oxfordshire during a turbulent year, politically and economically, is a major achievement.

"Attracting new ventures and encouraging entrepreneurs to set up there, means that the county is clearly delivering positive support for business."

ALSO READ: Winning names of coffee cup contest are revealed

The 2019 tally brings the total number of registered companies in Oxfordshire to 42,461, up from 40,930 at the end of 2018.

Cherwell district saw the most new businesses at 1,324, followed by South Oxfordshire with 1,120 and Oxford with 1,077.

Mr Korchak added: "With Brexit uncertainty casting a shadow – and some companies experiencing falling sales or choosing to relocate internationally – it is heartening that we are seeing signs of business optimism with so many new companies being created.

"This picture is mirrored nationally with an all-time high of nearly 700,000 new businesses formed in the UK as a whole."