A NORTH-East company has abandoned plans to move to London, securing jobs in the region.

Darlington-based Exis Technologies, which has pioneered a safety system for transporting dangerous goods, is staying in the region, increasing its workforce and hoping to double turnover after securing a grant.

Exis, based on the Faverdale Industrial Estate, had planned a relocation of its Darlington office to London.

But the inward investment team from urban development company Tees Valley Regeneration persuaded Exis to take the grant towards offices on Darlington's Faverdale Industrial Estate and move its London office to the North-East instead.

Now Exis Technologies hopes to increase its workforce to about 20 in the next two years, due to the growing international demand for its products.

Exis has developed a system for packing and stowing dangerous goods on container ships.

Each year there are explosions and fires on board container ships and in ports, which are caused by dangerous goods that are not properly packed.

Exis claims mistakes by shipping clerks and container packers are frequent, and the effects can be catastrophic.

John Leer, strategic investments manager at Tees Valley Regeneration, said: "Around 20 per cent of the world's shipped cargo is hazardous material, there is massive global potential for this market - which Exis Technologies is exploiting very successfully.

"Our priority is to promote job creation and investment in the Tees Valley. We're delighted that, through effective support from us, a company of this calibre has chosen to develop its future here."

Councillor David Lyonette, cabinet member for regeneration and planning at Darlington Borough Council, said: "Exis Technologies is a highly desirable company to have in Darlington. Aside from the job creation it will bring for the area, it offers an invaluable service to many other businesses connected with Teesport."

In 2002, a multi-million pound containership - the Hanjin Pennsylvania - was destroyed by a massive blast on her maiden voyage. It is believed the chemicals in a hold container caused an explosion which ignited fireworks on the deck above.

Demand for Exis' services is growing because of tightening controls following the disaster and it is marketing its latest innovation which is computerised training for shore and ship staff who work with dangerous goods.

Its computer systems can detect errors in the stowage of shipping containers.

The company was founded in 1985 as a subsidiary of Whessoe Technical Computing services in Darlington.

Ken Burgess, chairman of Exis, said: "The help we've received from Tees Valley Regeneration and Darlington Borough Council have been absolutely pivotal to us staying in Darlington, otherwise we were planning to move this operation to London.

"Now we've done the reverse."

Tees Valley Regeneration helped secure a grant from One NorthEast and Darlington Borough Council helped with the company's legal costs