A RESTORATION company, which has worked on some of the UK's most famous buildings, has taken on two apprentices and a junior manager.

Stone Technical Services is expanding its team after seeing increased demand for its lightning protection services, after work on structures including St Paul's Cathedral and Battersea power station.

The firm, based in Darlington, has welcomed apprentices Beth Nicholls, 18, and 17-year-old Thomas Hill to its lightning protection division, which provides equipment to restrict damage to buildings struck by lightning.

The company has also appointed Andy Hatton as lightning protection division junior manager.

Mr Hatton, who joined Stone as an on-site trainee engineer last October, will work on creating CAD Drawings and engineer reports as well as oversee works programmes and estimations.

The firm hopes to create five new jobs in 2013, taking its team to 35 workers, and managing director, Dave Stone, said: “We’re passionate about our commitment to training young people to the highest standards in this industry as our sector is crying out for new recruits.

“But we are also committed to providing long-term careers for people and Andy showed such skill and expertise while working on-site for us that we created a new role within our lightning protection division to allow him to develop his career.”

The company was recently appointed by English Heritage to carry out steel consolidation work on the early 17th Century Dob Park Lodge, near Otley, West Yorkshire, which is said to have inspired artist JMW Turner.