A Barnstaple businesswoman and mother of four received an unexpected invitation to Downing Street last month as one of the UK's top entrepreneurs.

Samantha Pickering, who runs internet-based business Hemp Fabric UK from her home in Bishops Tawton, attended the reception at 10 Downing Street last month.

She was joined at the event by 150 of the UK's top entrepreneurs and business leaders as well as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.

Samantha said: "It was a fantastic event and very good of the Prime Minister to attend briefly, given that it was the same night that the House of Commons was electing a new Speaker.

"I never expected to achieve this much recognition in my business, especially while my children are still so young and so much a part of my day-to-day operations."

Samantha's business currently deals with importing hemp and other natural fabrics from around the world and cutting and dispatching them to UK and International customers.

Samantha does her best to fit work around her busy family life and often works very late hours to achieve her goals.

She added: "I love running my business and work very hard at it, but my family always comes first.

"As one of thousands of work-at-home mums in the UK, I feel that this invitation shows recognition of the hard work that we do and the benefits it can have for this country."

At the event, Gordon Brown said the countries that will thrive in the future global economy are the ones that "unleash the talents, the creativity and enterprise of its citizens".

He added: "Our aim is to do everything we can to support your ideas, and your innovations, to support the enterprise and the entrepreneurial culture that exists in so many areas of our country.

"We want to support you in the efforts that you make, to make for a stronger economy."

Samantha says her long term plan is to re-establish hemp fabric production in the UK in order to support the country's drive to become more environmentally sustainable as well as to increase jobs in the region.

Her fabrics can be seen at various shows and festivals across North Devon this Summer where she will also be on hand to demonstrate carding, spinning fleece and hemp fibres.