STAFF at Noble Self Drive are celebrating 20 years of vehicle rental.

Noble Self Drive was set up in 1981 by Alan Noble, now executive deputy chairman of Northgate plc.

What began as a small venture with 40 vehicles from Mr Noble's home in Hurworth, has grown into the largest commercial vehicle rental provider in the Darlington area.

The company now runs more than 1,500 vehicles and operates two sites, the main one in Darlington, and another in Carlisle.

The success of Noble Self Drive led to other hire companies being established and becoming what is now the Northgate Network, which has 48 hire sites across the UK, running a combined fleet of 35,000 vehicles, making it one of the biggest commercial vehicle rental suppliers in the UK.

Colin Gillespie, managing director of Noble, has been with the company since it started.

He said: "We are proud to be celebrating Noble Self Drive's 20th anniversary.

"Not only are we celebrating the growth and development of this business, but also the growth of parent company Northgate, after all Northgate was where it all began. The loyalty and support of our customers and staff has made Noble Self Drive that success it is today."