Former broadcast journalist Jono Rooke has been running his public relations company in Cirencester for 15 years, looking after clients from High Sherriffs of the region to celebrated restaurants and event companies.

The idea to set up Straight-PR came when a friend working for a local auction company required media help for a high profile sale of Royal items. It was this that spurred Jono on to go on to approach and work for other auction companies as well as other varied businesses across the South West.

Jono, 38, who is originally from Malmesbury and moved to Cirencester in 2004 for work, said: “That first auction gave me a real buzz as we had press attention from all over the world. This gave me the impetus to give public relations a real go and it has been great fun.

“What we try and do is use our newsroom experience to give our clients a greater chance of getting in the headlines.

"We provide our clients with solutions and ideas that will, hopefully, get them in the press, online and in the media.

"The press and media world has changed so much in the last 10 years. I used to get asked to get someone in a paper now they want to be on Instagram or Twitter. Both are worthy mediums and have different audiences so it is about getting a good balance of your media profile.”

Straight-PR clients include Barrington Ayre Shirtmaker and Tailors, Relish Events, Arkell’s Brewery, The Apprenticeship Management Group and the award winning Barn Theatre.

Jono also recently showed government minister Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, around the award-winning care home of one of his clients.

Discussing the different aspects of his job, he said: “Some of the work we do or clients we have we can’t talk about as sometimes it is about keeping the client out of the news.

"It is an interesting job and some of the highlights have included working on the first March Hare trail – we had no idea how big it was going to be – meeting my food hero Rick Stein."

"Oh, and obviously working with a lingerie and swimwear business – the fashion shows were harrowing,” Jono added.