A door-to-door laundry service has received a delicate item to clean from its first customer.

The Mayor of Great Aycliffe, Councillor Maude Gray, opened the Well Groomed Laundry Service, in Newton Aycliffe, on Saturday, and gave the business the task of cleaning the authority's mayoral robes.

The business will be operating throughout County Durham and Darlington, offering ironing and dry cleaning services for private and contract customers.

The service is based in Gurney Way, on Aycliffe Industrial Estate.

Owner Nick Whitehead said: "I was in the council offices and got talking to somebody about the business and they talked about the mayoral robes needing cleaning. I think the mayor's coming back on Tuesday."

Mr Whitehead, whose background is in sales and marketing, got the idea after learning of a similar service elsewhere in the country.

He said: "I thought it was something badly needed in this area and it has only taken me about two months to set it up and get going."

For more information about the services on offer, call (01325) 308855.