A NORTH-EAST restaurant business has announced plans to open 13 more sites in the region.

Restaurateur Bill Oldfield plans to open restaurants in Tyneside, Newcastle, Harrogate, York and West Yorkshire, to add to his successful businesses in Darlington and Barnard Castle.

Mr Oldfield and his business partner and former Ritz Hotel chef Ed Hamilton-Trewitt, aim to have the restaurants open by 2007.

Since Mr Oldfield opened his first restaurant in Barnard Castle five years ago, the business has won three Les Routiers Gold Awards.

Mr Oldfield said: "We are a forward thinking, hard-working company. We want to build on the success of our existing restaurants and we now have the resources to do it."

Mr Hamilton-Trewitt, the company's head chef, said: "We are highly motivated and passionate about what we do.

"We believe in providing quality food at a far higher quality than people are normally able to afford."

Oldfield's head office in Barnard Castle is also about to undergo refurbishment.

An operations manager and a marketing manager will join the team shortly and other vacancies will be filled in coming months.

The restaurants in Kendrew Street, Darlington, and The Bank, Barnard Castle, have been awarded the Les Routiers Gold Award for three consecutive years.