Vue Entertainment chief executiveTim Richards has been named Ernst & Young's UK Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Richards left the US exhibition business to found Vue in 1998. The companynow runs 53 cinemas across the UK.

"Tim left a successfulcareer to take on the industry giants. He has turned his industry's commercialmodel on its head and identified new revenue streams. He is an exceptionalbusiness leader who has built a strong foundation on which to capitalise on thewholesale changes in digital technology" said Richard Hall, UK Markets Leaderfor Ernst & Young.

Richards also wonEntrepreneur of the Year for Consumer Products & Services. Past winnersinclude Towergate's Peter Cullum, Cairn Energy's Bill Gammell, Wiseman Dairies'Robert Wiseman and Sunseeker's Robert Braithwaite.