PARTNERSHIP investment Finance (PIF), the £37million Yorkshire investment fund has backed an expanding North Yorkshire vehicle services business to the tune of £450,000.

Bluebird Vehicles, of Scarborough, will invest the funds into its 50,000 sq ft premises at the former Plaxtons coach building site at Cayton Low Road, Scarborough.

The 18-month-old company has been given the money for future growth of its vehicle design, conversion and support services.

These include modifying low floor accessible vehicles to enable operators to comply with new disability discrimination legislation and the conversion of specialist vehicles to create mobile libraries and medical units.

Bluebird Vehicles, which employs 39 staff, is run by its founding directors Rob Miller, managing director; Gary Robinson, operations director, and David Moore, service support director.

Mr Miller said: "The investment by PIF provides us with an injection of capital that will enable us to continue developing the business and expanding our operations. In the short time since setting up Bluebird we have quickly established a good reputation for innovation, reliability and excellence and I'm confident that we can continue to build on our success."

Updated: 10:54 Thursday, August 04, 2005