THE owner of a swimming school on the IW has won a regional Venus Award.

Melissa Hewison, from Ryde, was honoured for the high standards of customer service at her Elite School of Swimming after impressing the judges at the regional Venus Awards for women in business.

The annual event was held at Southampton Solent University.

Melissa set up her swimming school in Gurnard in 2015 and has seen it go from strength to strength.

She said: "I was a competitive swimmer as a girl and set up my own business when I was 21.

“Up to now, I’ve taught more than 350 adults and children to swim. I believe in treating all my customers as individuals and understanding their requirements and excellent customer service is all important.”

The customer service category was sponsored by Wightlink.