ALMOST 2,000 new firms were founded in Bury in 2015 and it was a record-breaking year for Greater Manchester and the UK.

Each year, company records management firm Inform Direct measures how many businesses have been formed and how many have dissolved across the UK.

There were 28,265 businesses started in Greater Manchester last year, compared with 25,381 in 2014.

The county ranks second in the UK business-creation tables behind London.

A total of 612,565 companies were formed across the UK, which is the highest number on record. It compares with 586,784 in 2014.

As well as creating jobs, new firms also pay tax to the Government and business rates to the local council.

Inform Direct's managing director Henry Catchpole said: “Our dynamic economy and business-friendly environment are the reasons there is a 'Great' in Great Britain.

"All around the world, governments are spending time and money to figure out the best way to foster an entrepreneurial culture that helps boost the economy.

"But here in the UK, our politicians can nurture this business mentality that has established itself organically.

"Of course, London has always stormed ahead in business but our figures from 2015 demonstrate that the rest of the UK is also displaying a growing confidence in entrepreneurialism.

"Manchester has had an impressive year with a record number of new firms registered, spread right across the region."

There were 1,929 firms born in Bury in 2015 compared with 1893 in 2014.

Inform Direct's report includes a figure for each of the borough's 17 wards, which deducts the number of firms that have been dissolved from the number of firms that have been launched.

Moorside was the best-performing ward, as the figure was 239, followed by Sedgley (118), East Ward (89) and St Mary's Ward (64).

Unsworth was the worst-performing was as the figure was -160. The figure in Pilkington Park was 0.

The others were: Besses (7), Church (12), Elton (6), Holyrood (47), North Manor (38), Radcliffe East (55), Radcliffe North (53), Radcliffe West (19), Ramsbottom (43), Redvales (28), St Mary's (64) and Tottington (12).

Visit tinyurl.com/newfirmsmanchester to read the full report.