The developer that bought land at a Darlington business park were on site yesterday promising to create 190 jobs. Gateshead-based Easter Group, which has bought ten acres of land at the Faverdale East Business Park, is building 190,000sq ft of warehousing and offices and hopes to bring investment to the region. Argos has a distribution depot on the site, and Aldi has one nearby. It is hoped the warehouses, which are close to the A1, will attract national companies.

price rises: Corus is increasing the price of its steel. The company's strip products division, which accounts for about 40 per cent of sales worldwide, will increase prices in the UK on a range of products, including hot-rolled strip steels and hot-dipped galvanised steel, from January 1. The increase, which follows strip price rises in three of the past four quarters, is likely to affect customers in sectors that include construction, engineering and automotive. The latest rise is an average of £15 a tonne. A Corus spokeswoman said: "UK demand for strip is steadily improving and stock levels."