A NORTH-EAST businessman is hoping to re-establish the name of a site investigation company that went into liquidation last year.

Dunelm Geotechnical and Environmental, based on the Meadowfield Industrial Estate, near Durham City, operated nationwide.

The company's name and its assets have been bought from the liquidator and the new venture is running from the same premises.

The original company had a staff of about 20 when it coll-apsed.

Gary Dresser, the new venture's managing director, said it specialised in checking brownfield development sites for contamination from old industrial processes and gave advice on foundation design, old mineworkings and landfill sites.

"We have all the drilling equipment and back-up. We have some self-employed drillers who used to work for the old company and access to 40 years-worth of reports from the work that the old firm did.

"Dunelm was providing a very good service and had some good clients. The business is starting to build up again and the clients are coming back. We'd like to take on staff, but obviously we have to get the workload up."

Mr Dresser, from Newton hall, is a geotechnical engineer and has worked for British Coal, Durham County Council and national consultants WSP.