A DARLINGTON auctioneer has achieved a rare professional qualification that puts him firmly in the industry’s elite.

David Elstob, 32, a valuer and auctioneer at Thomas Watson’s, has become a Chartered Arts and Antiques Surveyor, as validated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – a qualification few auctioneers achieve.

He said: "We operate in an industry that is pretty much unregulated and there is no legal requirement for qualification to use the terms 'auctioneer' or 'valuer'.

"I decided to take this path not only to raise my own professional standing but also to give Thomas Watson clients extra confidence in the quality and ethics of the services they receive."

It took Mr Elstob two years to achieve the qualification, which is on top of his master’s degree in antiques and membership of the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers.

Part of the rigorous assessment procedures was an hour-long interview and formal presentation in front of an examination board.

Mr Elstob started his career aged 16 when he left Staindrop School to work at Addisons of Barnard Castle. There he learnt the skills of valuing and selling antiques and enrolled on a distance learning course at the University of Central Lancashire to gain a master’s degree in antiques.

In 2012, he moved to Thomas Watson’s in Darlington – one of the oldest auction houses in the region – to take on the role of business development manager. He is involved in all aspects of the business and has particular responsibility for valuation work and the quarterly fine art sales.