RAMSBOTTOM businesswoman Lorna Roscow's Inventors Highway company is well and truly on the road to success.

For Lorna's firm, which showcases the products and services of like-minded boffins, has scooped a top prize in an inaugural event to reward top female entrepreneurs.

Her company secured the runner-up prize in the Most Innovative Idea category in the first-ever North Manchester Women in Business Awards.

The lunch event, held at Bolton's Reebok Stadium, attracted 220 guests. Bolton Business Ventures, the enterprise agency which had previously organised the successful Bolton and Bury Business Awards for nine years, decided to switch direction and reward the contribution which women make to the economy in Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Oldham and Rochdale.

The event was designed to establish local role models for other women contemplating starting a business or expanding an existing one.

The awards are linked to specific loan funds, business mentoring and network supporters. Category winners received £2,000 while runners-up like Lorna Roscow took taking home £1,000.

Business Link North Manchester was the principal award sponsor and the category sponsors were the Royal Bank of Scotland, Bolton Institute, Barclays Bank and Bolton Business Ventures. Lorna has been involved in the inventions market for nearly ten years. She spent eight years and £20,000 in perfecting a unique "Tryle Style" concept. The system, embracing numerous transparencies, enables people to see what they'd look like with different hair styles and hair colours.

The businesswoman and launched Inventors Highway in October 2001 initially to run courses for those people who wanted to know how to turn their blueprints into reality.

Last September Lorna opened her own shop in Square Street, Ramsbottom, to highlight services and products of fellow boffins.