A TOP Wyre Forest businesswoman has called on employers to support female staff.

Louise Hewett, head of Hewett Recruitment, said more women were taking up managerial posts.

However, many still earned less than men and combined work with traditional wife and mother roles.

The Worcestershire businesswoman of the year, who has offices in Kidderminster and Worcester, said with the current skills shortage it was important for employers to support female staff, who wanted to have a family.

She said: "They've got to become more family friendly."

Ms Hewett stressed there were very few women managers when she set up her business 21 years ago.

She said: "When I first started going to the chamber of commerce, there were very few women. Now there are a lot more at their meetings. But women still earn less than men and female directors are in the minority."

Her comments came after Kidderminster accountants Horwath Clark Whitehill set up a breakfast club and very few women managers attended.

Marketing manager Joanna Tolley said: "The meetings tend to be attended by men because women are doing the school run. They still have a traditional role as well as a professional one."