To see if a domain name is available, you can go to the webpage of any accredited registrar and enter it in their domain name search box.

This is usually the first step of their purchase process but you will not be charged anything until it is actually registered.

Nominet is the central registry for all domain names ending in ".uk. They operate at the heart of e-commerce in the UK, running one of the world’s largest Internet registries with over nine million domain names.

Any company that wants to sell or offer for registration any domain name ending with ".uk" must be a member of Nominet.

You can find a list of Nominet's current member companies at http://www.nominet.org.uk/governance/members/list/

They also offer some helpful advice on choosing the right company to register your domain at http://www.nominet.org.uk/registrants/register/agent/

EasyWebstore currently registers domains through a company called "FastHosts Ltd" who are a member of Nominet.