DARLINGTON has the second fastest-growing local economy in Britain, according to a national firm of accountants.

UHY Hacker Young has 26 offices across the UK – including in Newcastle and Leeds – and named Croydon as the fastest-growing local economy at 9.3 per cent a year.

The company measures the contribution made by an area to the UK economy based on the value of the goods and services produced per person. The figures are for 2013 and 2014, the most recent available.

It put Darlington second with an annual growth rate of 8.9 per cent – up from £21,810 to £23,750 – and Camden and the City of London third, also with an 8.9 per cent rise from £274,150 to £298,520.

The news of Darlington's success was welcomed by Mark Wilson, managing director of training company eLamb, who was born and bred in the town.

He said: "Clearly, London remains the UK’s powerhouse but as a technology firm in the North-East, eLamb chose Darlington as its base owing to the fantastic services on offer at Business Central and the location next to the train station."

He founded the company in 2007 offering face-to-face training. He took on Mark Ackers last year to grow the business and today employs five offering tailormade on-line training to the likes of QHotels, Travelodge, Toni&Guy, Barratt Developments and L'Oréal.

Local customers include Swinton Park Hotel, near Masham, and Middleton Lodge at Middleton St George.

It delivers online training and assessment to more than 100,000 people in more than 15 languages and is currently exploring opportunities in America and Dubai.

Mr Wilson, 38, is the great, great grandson of Robert Wilson, a former Mayor of Darlington. In the 1800s, he and Ed Walker Robert set up stalls on the platform of North road station selling passengers newspapers and books fresh from London each day.

Their head office stood on the same land that eLamb and Business Central stand on today.