NORTH-East law firm Crutes is to open new offices in Teesside to tap into a growing market.

Newcastle-based Crutes follows on the heels of Dickinson Dees, which opened an office in Teesdale, Stockton two years ago and has enjoyed increasing success there.

Crutes, which employs nearly 200 people, is moving its staff from Middlesbrough to its Crutes House building in University Boulevard, on Teesdale Business Park, and is recruiting more staff.

The firm, which is a specialist in insurance litigation, among other services, is investing in the new premises on a long-term lease to provide it with extra capacity for planned growth.

Crutes expects to move to Teesdale at the end of this month.

Over the past year, the firm has recruited 51 new staff, and this year plans to recruit up to an additional 30 whilst meeting its 20 per cent growth target, with a number of the new staff based on Teesside.

Gareth Jones, a partner with Crutes who specialises in commercial property, said: "It is an exciting time to be working in the commercial property market here in Teesside, so it seems very appropriate that as a firm we are taking advantage of the high quality and excellent value office accommodation that is being developed here in Teesdale.

"We are really looking forward to the move."

Crutes has offices in Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Carlisle. It employs 193 staff with 22 partners.

It also merged with fellow Middlesbrough law firm Doberman Horsman in October of last year and has two offices in central Middlesbrough.

The Crutes office, at 93 Borough Road will close at the end of May, with all 60 staff moving across to the premises in Teesdale.