A CARE home group run by the wife of Darlington Football Club chairman George Houghton has acquired a Scottish rival in a deal worth more than £20m.

Executive Care Group (ECG), which recently relocated to Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, has taken control of five new care homes in Scotland after buying Allan Water Limited.

Three further sites are also under construction in Scotland, which will provide a further 306 beds for the elderly and people with special care needs.

The move has seen ECG increase its workforce by 300 to about 1,100, with more jobs expected to be created in the future.

ECG now owns and operates 27 care homes, the majority of which are in the North-East, and is in the process of building another three, including a 60-bed site in Harrogate. It has also purchased land in Redcar to build a care village complex and is seeking planning permission for another four homes across the country.

Jennifer Houghton owns and manages the business, while her husband, who bought Darlington FC for an undisclosed sum in March, acts as an advisor.

Mr Houghton said: "Allan Water Limited is a significant addition to our portfolio and our first venture into Scotland.

"Our homes offer a variety of support and facilities for people in need of residential care in comfortable surroundings."

ECG, which used to be based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, has homes in Shildon, Newton Aycliffe, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Durham, Birtley, Newcastle and Scarbrough, North Yorkshire.