STAFF at estate agents Hunters feel like they're in a scene from the Italian Job since the company took delivery of three fully-customised Minis to use in, York, Harrogate and Leeds.

Staff will use the cars, which were bought from Castle Mini, at Clifton Moor, York, to whizz between viewings and valuations. The company invested £40,000, including the cost of full branding of each of the vehicles, and is already considering adding more Minis to the fleet.

Kevin Hollinrake, director of Hunters, said: "These new Minis are fantastic cars and great for zooming between appointments, especially in city centre traffic. We're delighted with the branded look that Castle Mini has created, and I'm sure the eye-catching designs will quickly become a familiar sight around our offices.

"The cars will enable our sales teams to continue building on the efficient service that Hunters prides itself on and they are already proving to be extremely popular with staff."

Hunters, established in 1992, is one of the region's fastest-growing estate agencies, now employing 116 staff in nine offices across North and West Yorkshire.

Updated: 09:37 Tuesday, November 25, 2003