WORK at a specialist lighting factory in the region has been praised by a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

Fiona Hall, MEP for the North-East, recently visited Thorn Lighting’s Academy of Light, in Spennymoor, County Durham.

Ms Hall met managers Peter Thorns and Lou Bedocs to discuss European legislation on energy efficiency.

Ms Hall is particularly interested in Thorn because of her role in the Performance of Buildings Directive and eco design directives in Europe.

Thorn cites this as the main legislation the company is having to monitor and adapt for.

Ms Hall said: “European regulation often gets a bad press, but the managers at Thorn were very clear that it is the existence of increasingly tough Europewide standards on energy efficiency, which is driving the market for energy efficient lighting, an area in which Thorn Lighting is a major player.”

Ms Hall also praised Thorn’s work in a project at NETPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham, to build organic light-emitting diodes. She said it was set to keep the UK at the forefront of lighting technology and ensure Thorn remains a major employer in the region.