A LEADING businessman has become the new patron of the North Yorkshire branch of the Samaritans.

Entrepreneur David Kerfoot MBE has been taken on as patron of the Northallerton and Dales branch of the charity.

He set up the Kerfoot Group in 1980 with just £300, which has grown to be a £80m a year edible oils business, which manufactures and trades vegetable oils around the world.

It still retains its headquarters in Northallerton. Mr Kerfoot is also vice chairman of the York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and has been involved with numerous other initiatives in the community.