BRITAIN'S biggest hirer of telehandlers, Ukforks, has completed a £1.2m investment in its fleet.

The company, a subsidiary of Harrogate plant hire group Vp, has bought a fleet of ten-metre, 12-metre and 17-metre telehandlers in a £1.2m deal with JCB.

It follows an earlier £2.5m deal for Italian-built Dieci telehandlers.

Telehanders, or telescopic handlers, which are used in construction work, have a telescopic arm that extends to allow construction in hard-to-reach places.

Ukforks divisional director, David Williams, said: "As Britain's biggest telehandler hirer, we are constantly replenishing our fleet to ensure that our customers use the latest, most reliable and safest telehandlers.

"This latest JCB investment fits precisely with this business philosophy. These are excellent, robust machines which are already in use on house-building and construction sites from where we are getting very positive feedback."

Vp, formerly known as Vibroplant, was established in 2000 as part of a restructuring of its parent company.

It saw Vp transformed from a general plant hire company into a specialist operator targeting specific product sectors and markets.

Vp now employs more than 100 staff and boasts a fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles.

It is currently the UK's largest national provider of telehandlers and forklift trucks to the house building and construction industries.

Mr Williams said: "Considerable scope exists for further progress. The foundations are firmly in place, customer reaction is highly positive, the order book continues to grow and there is confidence for further investment.

"We're going to continue to deliver what the industry requires - and stay ahead of the field."