A NEW Milton takeaway outlet has been named as a regional finalist of the National Fish and Chip Awards.

Ashley's Fish and Chips, based in Barton-on-Sea, is now in the running to be the Central and Southern England winner for the awards, which have been organised by Seafish, an authority on seafood.

To be included in the list, the businesses have been appraised across a variety of judging criteria including responsible sourcing policies, marketing and promotional practices and staff training policies.

Over the coming weeks, they will receive mystery shopping assessments by industry experts, in order to whittle down the line-up to establish a top 20 which will compete for the regional titles.

Paul Williams, chief executive of Seafish, said: "The Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award is one of the highest honours to receive as a fish and chip business. Many of our past winners and finalists have gone on to reap substantial benefits, including international fame through industry trips overseas, increased shop footfall and turnover and even launching their own products."

The top 10 regional winning shops will be announced in October, to then compete for the grand title.