A NORTH Yorkshire frozen food factory has expanded with a £5m investment, giving a boost to local farmers.

JE Hartley Ltd in Thorganby has opened a new cold store and production waste treatment plant giving 40,000 cubic metres of extra space for storing fresh food, at -27 degrees C.

The investment will help safeguard jobs at the factory, which employs between 100 and 130 people.

Tom Verity, sales and marketing manager, said: "This expansion is a major benefit to the company. We were having to store in off-site containers because our existing facilities were bursting at the seams."

As well as other farms around the county, JE Hartley uses six local farms in a six mile radius of the Thorganby plant for regular produce.

JE Hartley still grows its own peas. Mr Hartley said: "We are basically still farmers so we understand our suppliers needs. Our new facilities will benefit our local farmers."

As part of the investment scheme a waste treatment plant has also been built on site to purify the water used in the treatment of the vegetables.

Mr Verity added: "Previously we have had to tank our water away to be purified after it had been used on the vegetables. Now we are self-sufficient."

The company, set up in the 1950s, has recently diversified into organic foods and said it is proving successful.

Mr Verity added: "Our sales have gone up by 15pc in the last year and we hope this new expansion will inspire further customer confidence."

The investment scheme has also provided five new jobs for truck drivers.