One of Northern Electric Group's stable of firms has won a £30m contract to upgrade and maintain part of East Midlands Electricity's distribution network.

Middlesbrough-based Integrated Utility Services (IUS) secured the deal, worth £7.5m a year for four years, which will involved work in Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The range of services being undertaken includes distribution network inspection and maintenance activities, capital infrastructure project delivery, and non-domestic connections provision including low voltage and high voltage alterations and diversions.

IUS, the contracting arm of Northern Electric, will operate from a base at Hucknall, Nottinghamshire with a satellite office in Grantham, Lincolnshire from where they will manage their operations.

The contract will involve about 160 staff from IUS as well as locally employed people. IUS will manage the contract using its own project managers, most of whom live in the East Midlands area.

Ian Harding, IUS general manager (East Midlands) said: "We are delighted to be working with East Midlands Electricity Distribution.

"This is a significant contract for IUS and one which complements our portfolio of successes in delivering major projects for other electricity companies.

"IUS has gained an excellent reputation for providing quality and specialised services in all areas of electrical infrastructure, repair & maintenance, leasing, multi-utility and consultancy work both throughout the UK and in Ireland, and this latest contract reinforces this reputation."

No extra jobs will be created by the contract, IUS already employs 754 staff at sites in Middlesbrough, Castleford, East Midlands and Ireland.