A £3.6m industrial and warehouse development that could create more than 250 jobs will be opened this week.

The Maple Way development, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which comprises 70,000sq ft of industrial space, will be opened at a launch event on Friday.

The development forms part of the Aycliffe Industrial Park, which is home to some of the North-East's largest employers, including Electrolux.

The warehouse complex has nine units ranging from 5,000sq ft up to 20,000sq ft.

Developers are hoping the scheme, by Delma Developments with funding from regional development agency One NorthEast, will create more than 250 jobs through new business moving to the units. One NorthEast deputy chairwoman Christine Smith will be at the launch event.

She said: "Maple Way is a key part of both One NorthEast's regional economic strategy and the County Durham economic strategy, which both aim to create high-quality business space for the county and the North-East as a whole. This new development offers a prime strategic location and will be vital to the future success of this area and the region as a whole."

The units are less than a mile from junction 59 of the A1(M) and each one has ten per cent fitted office accommodation and fully-enclosed secure yards with security cameras.