A £25,000 grant is helping a Darlington motorcycle business to target the French market.

Adrenalin-Moto, in Whessoe Road, has been awarded the grant by The North-East Investment Fund (Neif) to develop its already growing list of European suppliers.

The French market will join its other export markets in Norway, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Belgium and the US.

The company, which designs and makes accessories for export around the world, has also just been awarded the franchise for Victory Motorcycles, a US machine which is new in the UK.

Adrenalin was started by Debbie Purdy, with help from husband Matt, four years ago, to make accessories for Buell Motorcycles, a sister company of Harley Davidson.

It was first established on the Internet using a computer, which was set up in a cupboard under the stairs at their home.

They established the website, www.trojan-horse.co.uk, and waited to see what happened.

Mrs Purdy said: "I started the business under the stairs at my home, setting up a webpage.

"I soon found I was getting orders from all over the world. The response was amazing and Adrenalin has been growing ever since.

"We've now got a small unit in Whessoe Road where we service bikes and develop parts using fibre-glass moulds.

"The Victory franchise is new in the UK, and is regarded as the next best thing to a Harley Davidson, but at a better price.

"It will help to put Adrenalin on the map, and moves us into a totally new market as a dealership as well as a workshop.

"Trying to drum up business as a workshop for motorcycles can be hard, so becoming a dealership will help us develop that side of the business as well."

She said: "The award of the Neif grant will also help us to build up more business in Europe, particularly the French market, where we are planning to gain a foothold.