HAINES Watts have won an accountancy excellence award for the third year running.

The firm of accountants, based in Sarum Hill, won the Accountancy Firm of the Year – SMEs, at the annual FDs’ Excellence Awards.

It comes after the firm won Auditor of the Year for the past two years.

The awards recognise the service providers that support Britain’s finance community and are based on the results of an annual survey in which financial directors and financial decision-makers recorded their opinion.

The prestigious awards ceremony was held in Grosvenor Square, London and was hosted by Real Business in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), supported by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Haines Watts beat stiff competition from a number of other UK firms. Barry Potter, who is a partner at Haines Watts in Basingstoke, said: “It’s great to see Haines Watts win such a prestigious award. This type of award really matters to us because it’s voted for by business people and not by an academic panel of experts.

“It’s fantastic that we are the first firm ever to have won an award in three consecutive years.

“We are proud of all of our staff, who do an outstanding job for our clients day to day and who have contributed towards us winning this award.”