A NORTH-East firm that specialises in helping prevent damage to the environment has won a host of new contracts and is set to create 20 new jobs.

Watershed Plastics, based at Bowburn, County Durham, has taken the market by storm with its BSI-approved water treatment and underground drainage products designed to protect the environment from foul and contaminated water.

The firm's underground watertanks are used primarily beneath garage forecourts and car parks, where they capture contaminants such as hydrocarbons.

The systems are also used to offer protection from a wide range of pollutants such as sewage and agricultural silage run-off. And, with increasingly tight environmental controls introduced by the Environment Agency, the company is now poised to take advantage of what is becoming a high-growth sector.

"The fact that most of our range is approved by BSI puts us in pole position to win significant new contracts for the North-East and that means rapid growth and the creation of at least 20 new jobs in the short term," said Damone Armstrong, one of the company's directors.

He said that the emphasis on improving draining and water treatment can only intensify in the light of recent flooding.

The firm has inspired the confidence of venture capitalist NEL, which has decided to make a significant investment in Watershed. The investment comes from the £6.7m North East Investment Fund, which is managed by NEL as part of a total investment portfolio topping £15m.

With the investment set to boost ambitions expansion plans Watershed hopes to see turnover rising from £1.4m to about £3m in the next two years.

According to Mike Hird, fund manager with NEL, Watershed is a firm with a bright future.

"They are in an excellent position to capitalise on a growth industry and dramatically increase its share in the market," he said. "Not only are they marketing one of only two quality assured underground tanks, they are also giving their customers one-stop-shop access to a huge range of other drainage products.