A FLEET of vans worth £1million is hitting the roads as a north Durham housing association upgrades its vehicles.

All 46 Cestria trade staff are being provided with a new, larger work van, to make their working day as efficient and stress-free as possible.

Plumber Dave Murray was one of the first staff to receive his new Ford Transit vehicle.

He said the new van would make a real difference to how he does his job each day, with more space for carrying spare parts, so less time is wasted travelling from suppliers to customers and back again.

He added: “This new van makes all the difference to how I do my job, and to providing my customers with a good service.”

Every new leased van will carry the new Cestria branding, designed to give the social landlord a fresh new look and to fit with the branding of its parent group, Isos Housing.

Jonathan Fletcher, property services manager for Cestria Community Housing, said: “We have high expectations of what our team should deliver, so we have a responsibility to give them high quality kit to get the job done. I’m pleased to be able to invest in the best vehicles.”