A RECORD number of new companies were formed in Poole in the third quarter of 2013, new figures suggest.

The search comes in the latest Business Confidence Report from Duport. In the three months to September, there were 544 new companies formed in the town – more than any other Q3 on record for the area and an 11 per cent rise on 2012. Poole also broke its own record for net company growth, the report said.

The figure – arrived at by deducting the number of company closures from the number of company formations – was 294, compared with 272 in the same period the previous year.

The figures also showed a significant rise in the appointment of company directors under the age of 25, although female director appointments dropped.

Peter Valaitis, managing director of company formation agent duport.co.uk, said: “Our report contains some very encouraging statistics for Poole.

“A growing number of new company formations suggests that business confidence is on the rise in the area and that entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.”

More information can be found at duport.co.uk/poole The data is assembled from public records from sources including Companies House, Office for National Statistics and Ordnance Survey.