DEEP feelings of resentment still bubble over in Darlington whenever there is talk of the Magnet strike.

There are men and women who fought through the bitter 21-month dispute who defiantly refuse to shop at the town's showroom and snarl angrily when they spot the company's uniform.

But the man who is overseeing a major expansion plan at the firm's new head offices says he does feel regret over the strike.

Gary Favell, Magnet's managing director, said: "I think nobody can look back with feelings other than regret.

"It was very disappointing that it happened, but we basically have to move on - it's not something anybody would want to go through again."

The factory, on the Yarm Road industrial estate, is to benefit from a multi-million pound upgrade, including a base for Magnet's market, design and human resources staff.

The company is closing its present base in Keighley, West Yorkshire, as part of a national efficiency drive, and its 140 staff there will be offered the chance to move to the North-East.

Mr Favell said: "Darlington produces products for our kitchen range, our new bedroom range, and we are very shortly launching a range of home office products.

"Darlington will become the group's head office and will undergo an extensive refurbishment programme. The facilities there were not sufficient before."

The site employs about 450 workers, which is expected to rise to about 500 when the office staff are installed by January.

He said they were moving their main offices to the North-East because the work carried out in Darlington was a major part of the company's business.

Many involved in the strike felt that when Magnet's parent company changed its name from Beresford to Enodis last year, it was a way of distancing itself from the negative publicity it had faced.

They also felt David Moss, chief executive of Enodis - taken from the Latin enodatis, meaning solution - "fell on his own sword" when he lost his job in March.

But since then, Magnet has been sold to a Swedish firm, Europe's largest kitchen manufacturing group, Nobia, which agreed to pay £134m.

Mr Favell said the company was keen to look to the future.

He said: "I think we have always had a strong commitment to Darlington, and I think these recent changes and this investment programme really cements that.

"I think people should see it as good news."