BUSINESSMAN Phil Ritson has just returned from a trip to Portugal where he received a prestigious award.

Mr Ritson, the 44-year-old owner of the Canterbury Hi Fi Centre and its sister branch in Dover, flew to Lisbon to collect his prize for second place in the Sony Associate Dealer of the Year Award.

The business he runs with his wife triumphed over more than 500 UK Sony dealerships to win a £5,000 cheque, to be used for promotional purposes.

Mr Ritson paid tribute to the quality of service and staff at the two branches. The national award is a tribute to thriving business that has seen the centres celebrate a combined annual turnover of more than £1million over the past year.

Mr Ritson said: "This is the first major award we have won. We’re delighted because the competition is fierce, with people buying televisions at a much faster rate than they have in the past because of so many attractive deals available."

* See the Kentish Gazette (Thursday, February 22) for the full story.