CAMERONS Brewery has announced a substantial funding package to help with firm's plans to expand its pub estate.

The funding agreement from by The Royal Bank of Scotland will be used to increase the number of pubs owned by the brewery to 200 in the next two years.

The Hartlepool-based brewery said the expansion plans, revealed exclusively in The Northern Echo earlier this week, would help showcase Camerons products in pubs across the region. David Soley, chairman of Camerons, said: "The financial backing provided supports our expansion plans.