A LANDMARK deal has been signed that will bring millions of pounds worth of investment and scores of new jobs to Barrow.

The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £9m contract to a firm that has set up shop in the town centre to capitalise on the wealth of opportunities in the North West of England.

Allan Webb, a parts data management and technical publications specialist company in the defence industry, has partnered up with maritime consultancy firm BMT Defence Services to deliver a range of key services to Barrow's nuclear defence industry.

The two firms have moved into Craven House, in Barrow, which celebrated an official opening on Thursday, which was attended by Ann Thomson, the mayor of Barrow, Beryl Garratt, the mayoress of Barrow, and Anita Husband, the deputy mayor of Barrow.

Steven Rigsby, managing director of Allan Webb, believes this is a key opportunity for the firm to expand on its Barrow connections and reach out into new areas. He said: "We've had a presence in Barrow for about 15 years as a subcontractor at BAE Systems. 

"When we won the contract we decided to open a base here to keep the staff. We didn't want to lose that expertise and the MOD didn't want to lose it either."

The two firms, that are based in Gloucestershire and Bath, employ a total number of 15 people in Barrow, but have hopes to expand further in the coming months. 

Mr Rigsby said: "There are 15 people in the office at the moment but we've got room for more. "We're advertising for more staff and apprentices in the new year and we really want to invest in Barrow and the surrounding area."

He continued: "This partnership means there will be more improvement and more investment in the community. It means more jobs for the area as well - maybe as many as 50 in the next two years."

Mr Rigsby said: "It promotes Barrow for being a key area for maritime publications in the country. For us, this is a landmark opportunity to stretch out into other directions all over the world. 

"There is an unrivalled amount of experience here that can be passed on to young people coming through the company."

Muir Macdonald, managing director of BMT Defence Services, said: "It's really important for us to be part of the submarine programme in Barrow which is the heart of the submarine programme nationally. 

"There are a lot of skills here in Barrow and it's also a chance to bring some of the skills in Bath and Gloucester to Barrow."