AN ambitious North-East printing company has moved into much larger premises and recruited new staff in response to a hike in demand.

Print by Laser (PBL) has invested in a new 30,000 sq ft warehouse on Angel Park Industrial Estate, Chester-le-Street - a move that has created five full-time jobs with more expected to follow in the upcoming weeks.

The new site is more than twice the size of PBL's previous home, on Pattinson North Industrial Estate in Washington where it was established 11 years ago. It gives the firm space to accommodate more staff and new machinery, which includes £1.6m-worth of lithographic presses.

Owner of PBL, Eric Stevenson, said: "We have been desperate for larger premises for years - we were bursting out of Pattinson North.

"Since expanding we have been really busy as we can now take on even more work than before as we now have an extra printing press and more space."

The firm prints leaflets, appointment cards and case folders for the NHS and counts Northumbria University and Northumbria Police among its clients.

Peter Bartley, director at Bradley Hall, acted on the firm's behalf to buy the new premises and sell the site in Washington.