A NORTH-EAST industrial cleaning business, which secured the backing of TV Dragon Duncan Bannatyne, has secured £2.1m worth of contracts in the past month.

The contracts for UK Commercial Cleaning Services (UKCC) are based around the country in the private healthcare, retail and business sectors.

It is the latest success for the firm, which last August won £100,000 backing on BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den.

Tony Earnshaw, 26, from Washington, Wearside, established the business with £300 when he was 19, boosting the earnings from a local window cleaning round to £6,000 a-month.

He then expanded to become a full commercial cleaning company with about 30 staff based in Washington and Leeds depots.

He had already grown it into a £1.5m-turnover business prior to yesterday’s announcement of the new contracts, individual details of which cannot be released for commercial reasons.

There are now plans to expand the business further with the opening of a London depot.

Mr Earnshaw said: “My aim is to position the business as a nationally-regarded contender on the commercial cleaning stage and these contract wins are helping us to do that.

“Our motivated and energetic workforce has worked hard to ensure that we can fulfil these contracts and continue to win more throughout this year.

“The North-East needs more private business successes and my team have proved we can do it. We now want UKCC to be a flagship business for the area and the beyond.”

Television viewers last year saw Darlington-based businessman Duncan Bannatyne buy a 35 per cent stake in the firm for £100,000.

Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength.

Last October, it won a contract to provide its services to care homes run by Four Seasons Healthcare, from Birmingham to the Scottish borders.

It has also secured a number of other contracts, including Michelin- starred The White Room at Seaham Hall, County Durham.

Earlier this year, Mr Earnshaw announced plans to franchise the business, with ambitions to deliver services to Scotland, Wales, the South of England, and Ireland.