A FORMER salesman rejected a number of locations in favour of the rural beauty of a North-East dale to start a business venture.

Colin Duckworth could have gone anywhere in the UK with Alarm Technologies, but a visit to the Wear Valley convinced him it was the place to start a new life.

The young entrepreneur worked for a national safety and security company before going into business for himself designing and installing fire detection systems, sprinklers, security cameras and address systems.

Stunning surroundings, business start-up support, prime office space and convenient travel made Wear Valley the ideal choice for the 33-year-old.

He was one of the first tenants to move into Innovation House, in South Church Enterprise Park, near Bishop Auckland, which was opened last month by Tony Blair.

Mr Duckworth is an example of the inter-agency co-operation arising from the Wear Valley Jobs Summit, held 12 months ago in the wake of nearly 1,000 job losses in the area.

His company has already secured major contracts in its first year, including The Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, in Durham City, and the AA's contact centre, Carr Ellison House, in Newcastle.

Mr Duckworth, from Sunderland, said: "I suppose I could make the business work anywhere, but Wear Valley offered everything I want.

"The location is perfect - in one direction there is wonderful countryside and in the other are busy cities like Durham.

"The quality and cost of living makes it for me. Lots of people still imagine the North-East as a grim industrial area full of shipyards, but I have lived in Manchester and worked in London, and this is a much nicer place to live."