TELECOMS group Orange has claimed to be the UK's fastest growing operator after ringing up 1.2 million new customers in the past three months.

The group, which was floated by parent France Telecom earlier this year, said it now had 11 million UK customers, nearly double the figure at the same point last year.

Orange, which employs more than 5,500 staff in the region at sites in Darlington, Peterlee and North Tyneside, claimed that the figures made it the UK's fastest growing operator for the sixth successive quarter.

The figures follow data last week from Vodafone, showing it had added more than 600,000 UK customers, bringing its total UK base to 12.3 million, while BT Cellnet added 918,000 customers giving it a customer base of 11.2 million.

Figures from One 2 One, including Virgin Mobile, showed it had added 656,578 customers, bringing its customer base to 8.98 million.

Collectively, the figures show around 43.5 million people in the UK own a mobile phone.

Jean Francois Pontal, Orange's chief executive, said: "These results confirm Orange's strength across our markets with a nine per cent increase in our customer base in just one quarter and continued leadership in the UK.

"As markets develop we will be reinforcing our efforts to encourage loyalty and usage among customers.

"Now that the vast majority of people own a mobile phone we expect customers to benefit from increasing utility and an enhanced range of services as the capabilities of wirefree expend, and, as a result, Orange to benefit from higher usage."

Mr Pontal said: "These results reflect the strength of the European mobile market and the important role Orange has played in the development of the market."