Female-led businesses outside of London grew faster than those in the capital last year, new figures show.

An analysis of companies run by women that turned over between £1m and £250m in 2017 details how businesses in the South West had a median growth of 26%, ahead of London-based enterprises which grew at 25%.

In a boost for the Northern powerhouse too, the top performing female-led companies in the North West and Yorkshire grew by 21% and 19% respectively.

The figures from Founders 4 Schools show that there are 1,335 women-run businesses that turn over between £1m and £250m in the UK, and they contributed some £27.3bn to the UK economy last year.

The South West has enjoyed a boost in turnover thanks, in part, to innovative schemes launched across the region, including the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership - a business led private and public sector partnership that aims to promote local economic growth and prosperity across the region.