A NORTH-EAST company that specialises in the repair and servicing of games consoles has almost doubled its workforce with the recruitment of four apprentices.

Since it was set up two years ago, Console Doctor has seen a significant increase in the demand for its services.

As a result, the Newcastlebased company has turned to the apprenticeship programme to boost its headcount from six to ten fulltime members of staff.

The four chosen apprentices are school friends Michael Beckham, Michael Murray and Daniel Male, all 18 and from the Consett area of County Durham, and Nathan Humphries, 17, from Bedlington, in Northumberland.

Michael Maughan, director of Console Doctor, said: “We cover all the big-name games consoles such as DS, Play- Station, Wii and PSP.

“Although local people can bring their consoles to us in person, most of our business is conducted online.

“Games consoles are posted to us for servicing or repair from all over the UK, with people looking for a quick and efficient turnaround.

“To fulfil the needs of our business, and to continually exceed the expectations of our customers, we felt that the time was right to take on more staff.”