A teddy bear gift firm has proved it is no soft touch by scooping a prestigious business award.

Say It With Bears, which has enjoyed remarkable growth since being formed two years ago by Helen Hillman, was crowned Cumbria Exporter of the Year at the North West Passport to Export Awards, run by the government-backed UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) programme.

Helen, who has sold bears to every corner of the world, said the internet-based business had been "incredibly successful" and grown much faster than she had expected.

"It's amazing where the orders have come from. We have sent them to all sorts of weird and wonderful places - some of them I've never heard of before."

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