A MAJOR recruitment drive at a North-East engineering firm is continuing to gather pace.

The recent success at TKA Tallent Chassis has been described as an "oasis in the desert" of manufacturing industry in the region.

The Newton Aycliffe-based company, which manufactures high tech chassis products, started its recruitment drive with the announcement of the closure of its sister company Krupp Camford Engineering in Bedford.

That allowed Tallent to take on contracts from the doomed company, which helped to reverse its fortunes after a long period of struggle and job losses in the car components market.

Regional officer for the AEEU, Gerry Hunter, said: "There has been massive investment and new buildings and they are recruiting a number of people."

Mr Hunter said the company had taken on almost 300 people in the last five months, bringing the total workforce up to about 950.

And the recruitment drive is continuing, with vacancies for engineering apprenticeships, production, press and machine setter operators being advertised this week.

Mr Hunter said: "It's exceptionally good news. It's a very productive place and it's getting its costs right for the customer. I'm not embarrassed to say it's an oasis in this desert of manufacturing.

"It's one of the companies that we absolutely applaud for its work. The workers and the management have done wonders with it when you think what it used to be many years ago."

The company said it had no statement to make about the recruitment drive.