A DARLINGTON construction firm is continuing to thriveafter securing a major contract to refurbish the town’s police station and three other contracts which are about to begin.

Wharton Construction’s strong order book also includes a £1.6m arts and media building at Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough, and a £135,000 project to carry out structural alterations to shop units at the MetroCentre, Gateshead.

Matthew Wharton, quantity surveyor, said the firm was buoyant and may increase the 50-strong workforce if its success continues.

The company also hopes to receive anorder to alter andrefurbish the grade II-listed former home of Henry Bolckow and John Vaughan in Middlesbrough. They were the founding fathers of the Cleveland iron trade and lived in the building between 1841 and 1860. He said: “We have a number of other projects in the pipeline, which if they come to the fore, will give us an order book at capacity for the foreseeable future.

“We took on several new workers last year to cope with the growing workload and hope that it will continue. If the demand is there, then we could look attaking more people on.”

The firm, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year, was crowned best large company by an industry safety group last year.

Other contracts it is about to begin include a refurbishment of Ormesby Resource Centre for Middlesbrough Council; an extension of a student services building at Prior Pursglove College; and a new classroom block at Egglescliffe School, Stockton.