A total of 50 new jobs have been created in Darlington thanks to a series of grants from the borough council.

The grants, worth a total of £18,000, have been awarded to seven Darlington businesses chosen by the council's Financial Incentives Panel.

One of the firms to get a grant was Digital Office Solutions which was awarded £7,000 towards the refurbishment of new offices and a showroom at Teesside Airport. Managing Director John Alexander hopes the expansion to the three-year-old business will bring 14 new jobs to Darlington.

The money will also be used by firms moving to the town for the first time.

DICE Recruitment of Derby, who will employ six staff, has been awarded a £2,000 grant to help with the cost of setting up premises at the Imperial Centre in the town centre and The Great Northern Steam Company has received the same amount to help it to move its steam engine manufacturing and maintenance business to the Forge Industrial Estate.

Builder's merchant Darlington Building Supplies and fire and flood restoration business Rainbow International have also received grants of £2,000.

Two firms have been given £1,500 to help them to set up web sites - Carla Pessers, suppliers of garden furniture to hotels and leisure facilities, and the Darlington and District Business Club.