Seven companies in the Midlands have been named among the UK's 100 fastest growing businesses.

The group is a slight dip from the ten which featured last year in the annual Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100.

Now in its 19th year, the table ranks Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing sales over three years.

The highest-placed business in the Midlands is Worcestershire-based Gtech which is a new entrant in 11th spot.

It was founded in 2001 by Nick Grey who left well-known vacuum cleaner brand Vax to design his own cordless floor sweeper.

Gtech now makes cordless vacuums, sweepers, garden tools and an electric bicycle and sales have grown by an average of 117 per cent a year to £48.3 million last year.

Redditch-based travel agent Cruise is another new entrant from Worcestershire, in 54th place.

Founder Andrew Gardner and chief executive Seamus Conlon led a buyout in 2013, backed by Risk Capital Partners.

Sales hit £30.1 million in 2014 as the company invested in its online platform and it recently bought two businesses in Ireland and Australia. It has grown by 61 per cent over the past three years.

The five other companies, with their position, most recent annual turnover and growth over the past three years, are:

- LionCourt Homes, Worcester: 25th, £40.1 million, 89 per cent

- LION Trackhire, Worksop: 49th, £15.4 million, 62 per cent

- Panther Warehousing, Northampton: 58th, £20.1 million, 59 per cent

- Grenade, Coventry: 65th, £8.4 million, 57 per cent

- Aspens Services, Hindlip: 97th, £11.9 million, 44 per cent

The seven companies together employ more than 1,150 staff and have achieved combined sales of £175 million.

The wider national countdown includes companies such as fashion retailer Missguided, brewery BrewDog, cycling clothing brand Rapha and restaurant operator Bill's which is due to open a new outlet in the Bullring next week.

It is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events company.