After closing its North-East operations at Newton Aycliffe and Thornaby, Sanyo has put a factory on the market.

The Newton Aycliffe site was acquired by Sanyo in 1988 and comprises two main production buildings of 5,567 sq m and 4,373 sq m respectively, each with its own office space.

There is also a greenfield development plot of approximately 1.12 acres.

The total building area amounts to 11,478 sq m and the site covers a total area of 9.1 acres.

David Simpson, director and general manager at Sanyo, said: "After an exhaustive process of exploring all the options for keeping the factory going, we have now reluctantly had to take the next step which is to advertise our Aycliffe facility for sale.

"We are pleased to be working closely with County Durham Development Company, Sedgefield Borough Council and a number of other partners.

"They are helping us not only with the disposal of the site, but also with a range of other issues, including support and retraining for the workforce."

Phil Eadon, director of marketing at County Durham Development Company (CDDC), said: "CDDC is supporting Sanyo in a number of ways, including chairing the Sanyo Response Group.

Details of the property are available direct from CDDC, by calling 0191-383 2000, or via its website, at www.cddc.co.uk