A WATCHDOG has reassured customers that a water company's takeover will not affect its service levels.

On Sunday, French firm Suez announced the sale of 75 per cent of its holding in Northumbrian Water to a group of mainly British investors.

The £2.2bn deal will see the water company, which has main offices in Durham and Chelmsford, return to the Stock Market for the first time since 1995.

The company includes the North-East water supply and waste water treatment arm, Northumbrian Water, which has a 1,500-strong workforce.

Managers have pledged that the buyout will not jeopardise jobs or affect levels of service for the firm's 4.3m water and sewage customers.

Now water watchdog WaterVoice Northumbria has supported this claim.

Andrea Cook, chairman of WaterVoice Northumbria, said: "Northumbrian Water is currently the only water and sewage company to obtain a full set of seven stars in Ofwat's annual assessment of companies' levels of service.

"As the existing management team is to remain in place, the committee does not expect to see any deterioration in the standards achieved."