STAFF at a York hotel are celebrating after picking up one of 24 titles in a regional wedding industry competition.

The family-run Grays Court scooped the title of Best Regional Town/City Venue at The Wedding Industry North East Awards.

The business will now go forward to represent the region in the National Finals, which are being held in London on January 15.

Rhiannon Heraty, events co-ordinator at Grays Court, said: "We are absolutely thrilled. For such a small, family-run business to be recognised as the best regional venue is incredible, and we are so utterly grateful to all our customers, clients and friends for their continued support."

Founder of The Wedding Industry Awards, Damian Bailey said: “The Awards really have become the gold standard for wedding excellence in this country and, as our regional award ceremony at Middleton Lodge proved, the wedding industry in the North East is packed full with passionate, innovative and committed suppliers.

"These are our fourth awards and the standard of entrants was higher than ever.

"It’s becoming harder and harder for our judges to pick winners from such amazing shortlists where everyone demonstrates such skill. "It was great to celebrate everyone’s achievements and then party all night.”

Grays Court, in Chapter House Street, dates back more than 900 years, and was once owned by the Duke of Somerset, Queen Jane Seymour's brother, and visited by King James 1st, James 2nd and the Duke of Cumberland.

Sir Thomas Fairfax, Archbishop Robert Holgate and Archbishop Thomas Young have also owned and lived in Grays Court.