A LEADING seafood supplier, employing hundreds of North-East workers, could be on the verge of being sold.

Cumbrian Seafoods which, despite its name, is based in County Durham, admitted last night that it was mulling over whether to pursue potential offers for the firm, which moved to the region four years ago.

The privately owned business, which supplies leading supermarkets including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda with fish and seafood products, said it had received recent interest from industry players looking to buy the company out.

Earlier this year the company, which opened its plant employing 500 at Seaham in 2007, was named as one of the top 100 food and drink manufacturers in the UK and Ireland.

It was unclear last night whether any sale would affect grant funding awarded to the firm from the Government's new Regional Growth Fund, although it is understood it is yet to receive the cash.

In a statement last night the firm said: "Cumbrian Seafoods has been approached recently by a number of industry players who have expressed an interest in buying the company.

"They have recognised the relevance and success of the business model which has been created at Seaham.

"Currently the company is considering these options and the opportunities they bring for further investment.

"In the meantime it's business as usual."

After outgrowing its original premises in Maryport, Cumbria, the business undertook a wholesale revamp of its operation by investing £20m to build the facility in Seaham, and complete a redevelopment of its factory in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

The firm also has a plant in Amble, Northumberland, and employs around 700 staff in total.

In Junes list of the top 100 firms, compiled by Food and Drink Business Europe, Cumbrian, was ranked at 93.

Companies were listed based on turnover and pre-tax profit figures, with Cumbria reporting £155.5m turnover and pre-tax profit of £2.7m.

In April it was revealed that the firm had been awarded a grant from the flagship Regional Growth Fund to help it develop additional manufacturing capacity with the promise of more than 100 new jobs.

It intends to use the finance to convert existing storage space at its Foxcover Enterprise Park headquarters into a new seafood manufacturing facility.