THIS week, five years ago, a trainbuilder created 150 jobs at its North-East factory.

In a vital jobs boost to the region, Hitachi Rail Europe launched a drive to recruit fixed-term workers to make rolling stock for the UK rail network.

Bosses hoped around a third of the intake will be apprentices.

The additional staff will add to the company’s original target of 730 people and means it has a 900-strong workforce at its £82m plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The move came with Hitachi just days away from starting production of rolling stock for Scottish lines.

The company aimed to supply hundreds of carriages for the ScotRail franchise.

A spokeswoman said work would will be carried out alongside existing contracts to make trains for the East Coast and Great Western routes under the Government’s Intercity Express Programme.

Elsewhere, the sky turned black with thick acrid smoke as a huge blaze razed several businesses to the ground.

Police said they had arrested a 54-year-old man on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire at Riverside Industrial Estate in Langley Park, County Durham. No-one is believed to have been injured although one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

The alarm was raised at around 11.15am but the flames quickly spread to a tyre fitting centre, engulfing thousands of tyres.

More than 40 firefighters, six fire engines and two aerial ladders were used to bring the blaze under control.

It took several days before it was completely extinguished.

As well as engulfing the building which contained five businesses, the fire also took hold in neighbouring woodland.

Mark Shanks, owner of Tyre Revolution, said the fire seemed to have started somewhere from behind the building. The roof eventually collapsed due to the intense heat.

More fire drama, this time for holidaymakers, also made the news, when deadly wildfires spreading across Portugal’s Madeira Islands came within metres of a holidaying North-East family.

Fires breaking out across Madeira claimed the lives of three elderly people and left more than 300 others needing medical treatment.

Darlington woman Lara France and her family were staying in a villa close to Calheta, where fires have threatened to destroy homes.

Ms France said the skies were filled with smoke.

Describing her worrying experiences, she said trees behind the villa she is staying in were smouldering.

Ms France said: “We are in a villa just outside Calheta and the skies are covered with smoke, mainly coming from the hills behind. We drove north heading for Porto Moniz this morning but turned back when we came across a fire quite close to the main road.

“We are pretty much on our own and have had to find information out from locals."