A NEW £1.4m contract means a Warrington maintenance contractor can recruit 22 extra staff.

OP Building Maintenance Services (OPBMS) has secured the deal with Arena Housing Association to look after 5,000 homes across Merseyside.

The contract is so large that the extra staff will need to be recruited.

Mike O'Halloran, managing director of OPBMS, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have secured this contract which will run parallel with our existing contracts within the north west.

"Years of hard work have equipped us with the experience to deal with any challenges that the new social housing environment may present and we have successfully built a reputation of care and service throughout the industry."

And he says the two organisations are working to improve the standard of homes.

He added: "The company has been developing fast, doubling turnover year on year.

"Our experience in the field of housing maintenance will see us providing Arena Housing with a sophisticated support service which includes a quality surveying team, contract managers, a fleet of field operatives, depot facilities, administration support, full 24-hour call out service and a revolutionary call centre."

The company's service includes responding to routine, urgent or emergency repairs and bringing home up to current standards.

gdunning@guardiangrp.co.uk