A VAN and car rental firm hopes a sponsorship deal will drive its market standing to new heights.

Northgate Vehicle Hire, headquartered in Darlington, is backing British Touring Car Championship team Handy Motorsport and driver Rob Austin.

Eddie Aston, Northgate’s managing director, said: “The championship gives us the perfect platform to engage with an enthusiastic following, many of whom are our customers.”

Northgate started life as Noble Self Drive in 1981, when Alan Noble set up business from his Darlington home.

According to its latest financial results, released last month, the company saw underlying pre-tax profit and underlying UK hire revenue both fall.

However, bosses said the business is beginning to feel the benefits of a managerial overhaul and political concord in Spain, where Northgate leases commercial vehicles and cars to holidaymakers.

They added it had previously suffered from weaker demand, brought on by UK construction sector malaise and the Government’s decision to pare back renewable energy installation tariffs, which meant fewer companies needed vans.