COUNTY Durham received a double jobs boost yesterday as two companies announced expansion plans.

Walkers Snack Foods opened a £5.5m distribution warehouse in Peterlee this week, creating 45 jobs.

The Seaward Group, which builds electrical test systems, will create 30 jobs as part of its expansion plan.

Seaward, based in Peterlee, will create two technology businesses from its core manufacturing activities.

One will specialise in biomedical test equipment and the other in the development of software and database management programmes.

The new projects will involve the recruitment of up to 30 staff, including software and hardware engineers, boosting the group's workforce to 160.

Under the plans, the business will undergo significant expansion, creating a research and development team as well as boosting its sales and marketing operation to allow more distribution in Europe and other key international markets.

Potential acquisitions are also in the pipeline.

A new product to support its main business of electrical testers is being developed which will test and track software products.

Seaward Group managing director Rod Taylor said: "This expansion should provide a real boost for the region's high-technology manufacturing base.

"The new structure will give individual business units the flexibility to develop new products and markets in their own right, while maintaining important links with other group companies.

"Separating the different activities in this way allows us to build on our existing experience in these sectors and capitalise on the undoubted market opportunities that exist."

As well as its Peterlee manufacturing site, Seaward has other test instrument operations in Sussex and the US and will be looking for premises in the North-East to accommodate the new businesses.

Walkers snack foods facility will allow it to hold an extra 3,500 pallets of products, which include crisps and nuts, and will work alongside its two distribution centres in Leicester and Warrington.

It will supply Walkers products to retailers in the North, Scotland and across Ireland.

Nigel Madden, operations manager, said: "This is another exciting opportunity for Walkers and shows our commitment to the local area and builds upon the investment in 2003, when we installed the new Walkers Sensations line."