MORE and more new companies chose to set up business in Wiltshire last year according to latest figures.

Despite political and economic uncertainty during the year, 4,428 new companies were registered in the county compared to 4,348 during 2018, representing an increase of 1.8 per cent.

This brings the total number of registered companies in Wiltshire to 37,182, up from 36,714 at the end of 2018 - which equates to 1.3 per cent growth.

The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of Company Formations using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.

There were 1,589 company formations in Swindon, with the remaining companies established elsewhere in the county.

John Korchak, director of operations at Inform Direct said: “With Brexit uncertainty casting a shadow – and some companies experiencing falling sales it is heartening that we are seeing signs of business optimism with so many new companies being formed.”