AN UNUSUAL television star helped roll out the 40,000th fleet vehicle from a North-East hire firm.
The Mandy Morris truck, which was driven by Claude Jeremiah Greengrass of ITV's Heartbeat series, visited the Northgate hire centre on Yarm Road business estate, in Darlington.
The 1954 drop-sided Morris Commercial LC5 took pride of place on the company forecourt, in Allington Way, alongside the company's milestone vehicle.
The truck has appeared on Heartbeat from day one, and has also been in The Beatles video Free as a Bird, The Darling Buds of May and All Creatures Great and Small.
Northgate is the UK's market leader in van rental, operating from a network of 60 hire centres throughout the UK and Ireland, and employing more than 1,500 people.
Chief executive Steve Smith said: "Vehicle rental today is a very sophisticated business, and with 40,000 vehicles we are recognised as the country's number one.
"I think old Claude Jeremiah was at the other end of the scale.
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