A MOBILE operator says it has increased profits and made £457m savings.

EE, which is Darlington's biggest private employer with about 2,000 workers, says profits before tax increased ten per cent last year to £1.57bn.

Bosses said turnover stood at £6.48bn for the year to December 31, after reporting losses of about £250m in the previous year.

They added the company, which also employs workers in Doxford, Sunderland, and North Shields, North Tyneside, added 756,000 customers last year.

Olaf Swantee, EE chief executive, said: “We are growing our pay monthly base, delivering our targeted savings and achieving our best margin yet, while cementing our position as the UK's best network for consumers and businesses.”

The firm operates the T-Mobile, Orange and EE brands in the UK and yesterday (Wednesday, March 19) revealed plans to return 1,000 call centre jobs to the UK from abroad.

The company has not revealed where the posts will be based, but have not ruled out bringing more jobs to the North-East.