A FLOURISHING furniture business has opened new premises in Crook creating jobs for County Durham workers.

Joint managing directors Peter and Julie McPartland are hoping to double their 16-member team at their workshop and showroom in Prospect Road, where they run Livingwood furniture, Universal Worktops and Nature's Flooring.

Government chief whip Hilary Armstrong opened the showroom. She said: "It is wonderful to find people who have enough belief in themselves and their workers to take the risk to put their ideas into practice."

The couple started out ten years ago selling kitchens from their home in Frosterley, with Mr McPartland travelling to a fabrication plant in the Czech Republic where the units were made and brought to Britain for assembly.

They set up workshops in Frosterley and Wales before deciding to set up premises in Crook a year ago.

Mr McPartland said: "Instead of Czech workers, we now have Wear Valley workers and that is better for us."

The McPartlands have chosen local names for their ranges, including a Wolsingham oak farmhouse kitchen and Alston walnut units.