BUILDING services group Northern Bear has made its second acquisition in less than a month with the purchase of a construction company in the North-East.

The County Durham plc has acquired North Shields-based Hastie D Burton Limited, weeks after purchasing asbestos specialist Chirmarn, based in Blaydon.

Hastie is Northern Bear's third acquisition since its flotation on the Alternative Investment Market in December last year, and takes the number of companies in the group to nine.

Chester-le-Street-based Northern Bear, which has doubled its market capitalisation to about £20m in the past six months, said more regional acquisitions were in the pipeline.

Executive chairman Jon Pither said: "Completing two acquisitions within a month, and three within six months of becoming a public company, clearly demonstrates both the dynamism of the group and the attractiveness of our proposition to potential vendors."