Call Centre and marketing company 2Touch has taken on nine former Dewhirst staff to fill telesales and customer service vacancies for its growing Virgin Energy contract.

The new recruits were among the 390 staff to lose their jobs when the clothing company closed earlier this year.

Anne Howarth, call centre training manager at 2Touch, said: "The creation of the Virgin Energy call centre meant we had 50 vacancies to fill and we needed to recruit dynamic and energetic people which were used to working to targets and deadlines.

"The staff at Dewhirst were obviously highly skilled in these areas and we were able to offer them a new challenge."

Representatives from 2Touch visited the Dewhirst factory days before its closure and invited employees to attend specially organised open evenings at the call centre on the Doxford Technology Park in Sunderland.

Andrea Stirk, 34, from Sunderland, who had worked at Dewhirst for 15 years, said: "Everyone at the open evening felt that 2Touch gave us the opportunity to learn new skills and had something to offer."

Andrea is joined at 2Touch by former Dewhirst employees Frank Hepton, Stacey Pearson, Michelle Wales, Lindsey Brown, Claire Trotter, Debra Doyle, Paula Smith and Alison Gee.

The group has more than 58 years of service between them at Dewhirst. 2Touch is part of the US Acxiom Corporation which has created more than 400 jobs in Sunderland over the last year.

It represents leading brands in the consumer, automotive, financial services and home energy sectors.

For more information about vacancies at 2Touch visit www.2touch.co.uk.