A MARINE engineering firm aims to create jobs as it targets global markets with a new product.

Tyne and Wear Marine (TWM) has developed the Bollard Load Test for marine bollards.

The company say it uses a hydraulic ram to create pull, replacing the traditional method of a tug pulling against the bollard, which they say is dangerous and can damage vessels.

Based in South Shields, South Tyneside, TWM worked with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) and Prozeus consultant Ade Walton.

Bosses say they hope the move will lead to new jobs and lift turnover from £1.2m to £4m by 2018, also revealing the firm is in the early stages of building a new factory to create greater capacity for developing products.

They added the Port of Tyne initially approached its engineering team to find an alternative testing product, and TWM now plans to roll out the bollard service to other UK ports and across the world.

Jeff Main, TWM director, said: “We are proud this product has been designed and made completely in the North-East and this will be the case going forward.

“Two people have been directly employed so far and this will increase dramatically as we look to take turnover to £4m by 2018.

“We are about to start using the service at the Port of Tyne and four more ports are asking us to test their bollards for them.

“With bollards requiring regular inspections, it should also give us the perfect platform to create a specialist UK service division and we are investigating the prospect of offering international licencing deals.”

Mike Nicholson, Port of Tyne harbourmaster, added: “We are ready to roll out a regular testing regime and are confident it will help guard against future bollard failures, providing greater safety and security for ships at our berths.”