AN engineering firm that has struggled through an uncertain year in the car components market, looks set to end 2000 on a high after launching a major recruitment drive.

Tallent, which employs 900 at its Newton Aycliffe site, is looking to take on around 75 members of staff - news described by the engineering union, AEEU, as "excellent".

The recruitment is believed to result from Tallent taking a contract for the Ford Fiesta from its sister company, Krupp Camford engineering in Bedford, which recently announced it was closing with the loss of 300 jobs.

Workers have remained on tenterhooks at the site throughout the year after management launched a "thorough" review of its operations in a bid to remain competitive.

Regional officer for the AEEU, Gerry Hunter, who spent yesterday morning at the site said: "The firm has launched a recruitment drive at the factory, and the number of staff it is looking to take on is between 50 and 75.

"Although they will be only temporary workers initially, hopefully they can be made permanent in the future.

"This is very good news for all the workers at the site and we're hoping it will mark an upturn for Tallent."

Recently the firm has made two applications for planning permission to develop its site giving further indication of an upturn, after months of uncertainty for workers in the face of Rover's crisis and a cloud over Nissan's future health. There was no-one available yesterday at Tallent to comment on the latest recruitment drive