ONLINE accommodation provider Bedsearcher plans to increase its hotel bookings sales from £4m to £40m next year.

The Internet booking company, which is based in Darlington, has recently moved to larger headquarters. It plans to recruit 20 staff after securing funds from private investors.

The award-winning company, bedsearcher.co.uk, was set up by Gill Chapple and Jim Mann in 2002.

Ms Chapple said: "These are very exciting times for Bedsearcher, securing financial backing within the region has stopped us from being forced down to London. We would much rather stay in the North-East.

"We are aiming to grow ten-fold over the next 12 months and recent developments have allowed us to improve the business in many ways, particularly technology and marketing.

"We are aiming to be a leader in our field within Europe and it's a very real possibility within the next 12 to 18 months."

Bedsearcher connects people with more than 8,500 hotels, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses in the UK, as well as accommodation in 23 European countries.

The company's headquarters and customer support centre is at Nestfield Industrial Estate, Darlington.

Mr Mann and Ms Chapple also set up the award-winning business Just Paintball, which is expected to have a turnover of £1.2m this year.