A COMPANY director has been honoured at an awards celebrating women in business.

Debbie Francis, from Croft, scooped the Woman with Edge Award at the 2019 Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards.

The managing director of freight company Direct Rail Services, she has been hailed for ‘demonstrating the courage to challenge and make a real difference in a male-dominated industry’.

After winning her award, Debbie said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have received this year’s Freeths Woman with Edge Award.

“To be recognised for this award is an honour, and I look forward to continuing to inspire other women in their work.”

Debbie left school at the age of 16 with virtually no qualifications, but went on to graduate from Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining a masters from the Manchester Business School.

She has more than 30 years of experience across a range of industries, including IT, infrastructure maintenance and railways – and is now studying for a PHD.

More than 500 guests attended a glittering ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Friday, October 25 – which featured a performance from 2018 X Factor conestants LMA and was attended by actress Sally Lindsay.