A DEALER in insurance salvage and repairable vehicles is planning to double the size of its North-East base.

North-East Motor Salvage, which was established as a family-run scrapyard in 1979 and has grown into the leading company of its type in the region, has bought a 14-acre site in Peterlee, County Durham, which adjoins its existing 12-acre base.

The expansion will also create jobs to add to its workforce of 40, as well as helping to raise turnover through its increased capacity.

The company has grown strongly over the past few years, having expanded its sales into Europe and adding insurance companies, including Direct Line and Churchill, to its portfolio.

Director Alan Usher, who founded North-East Motor Salvage in Sunderland, said: “The purchase of additional land is a direct result of the company’s growth during the last few years and it has been difficult to sustain this at our existing base.”