INTERNET company Infoserve has pledged to invest £2m in its workforce training after recruiting 200 new staff.

The Darlington firm has recently embarked on a recruitment drive to raise its staff levels from 125 to more than 300, and said it was braced to grow further after securing two significant contracts since the start of the year.

Infoserve raised the money for the investment through a share placing on the London Stock Exchange, and has been buoyed by striking lucrative deals with Football League Interactive and Yahoo! Local.

Chief executive Steve Barnes said the deal with Yahoo!, which makes Infoserve its official advertising sales partner, has been decisive in the firm's growth.

"We knew when we signed the Yahoo! Local deal it had enormous potential, but the huge take-up from local businesses throughout the UK has surprised even us," he said.

The company, which has recently moved into new premises on Darlington's Morton Park, also recorded a 135 per cent increase in turnover to £4.02m last month.

Infoserve has already begun recruiting for the 200 new positions, with more recruitment events due to take place over the coming weeks.

The next assessment day will be held next Tuesday at 10am at Pioneer House, on Darlington's Morton Palms Business Park.

Anyone wanting to attend is asked to call the Infoserve recruitment line on 0845-367-7500.