THREE tutors at Darlington College have become the first in the country to deliver advanced courses in customer service.

Helen Broadley, Geoff Lawrence and Clare Mitchell are now accredited by the National Skills Academy for Hospitality to teach courses that are expected to attract more than 100 students a year.

To receive the accreditation, they underwent the training themselves which they will now give to hospitality sector employees across the region and were observed and assessed running a real-life training session.

Successful completion of the course earns a nationally recognised BTEC in Principles of Customer Service in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism.

CEO of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality David McHattie said: "Delivering world class customer experiences are critical to the UK and we are proud to celebrate Geoff, Clare and Helen as excellent trainers."

Darlington College's director of services Nicola James said: "We recognise the critical role that customer service plays in ensuring the continued success of the UK hospitality sector.

"During the recession, more than at any other time, only those establishments offering superior customer service will survive.

"As soon as we heard about the new qualification, we wanted to get involved and we are delighted that we are the first college in the UK to be accredited."

The first beneficiaries of the training included Ivy Dunn and Christine Barnaby from Darlington Memorial Hospital and Diane Tallentire and Paul Cross from Redworth Hall Hotel.

For more details on the National Skills Academy Customer Service Level 2 and Level 3 programmes contact the college on 01325-503048.