Flame Heating Group, a fast-growing heating and plumbing merchant in the north east of England, has launched a new branch in Cramlington, Northumberland.

Flame, which currently operates eight branches throughout the region, has opened its 3,600sq ft branch on Atley Business Park in the town, initially creating two members of staff.

There are also plans in place to further grow the branch to incorporate a bathroom showroom in the near future.

Kyle Farrell will lead the branch as an Investor Director of Flame, while Gary Campbell has been appointed as Branch Supervisor.

Kyle, 28, from Ashington, spent eight years at a national heating and plumbing merchant, working his way up to become a Branch Manager across three North East locations.

Flame more than doubled its turnover to £14.5 million in 2017 and is set to open three branches in Scotland this autumn, which will mark its first launches outside of the North East.

Kyle said: "There is plenty of potential at our Cramlington branch, and I am delighted to be part of the Flame team and its ambitious expansion plans. I have worked in the industry for many years and believe that my experience, skills and industry knowledge will be a good fit as we expand into the town.

"I have known about Flame and its reputation for a long time, and believed it was the right time in my career to take the next step. It is going to be challenging, but something I am looking forward to, and hopefully we are able to create a thriving branch as the company gears up for further growth with more launches on the horizon."

John Savage, Managing Director of Flame Heating Group, added: "We are continuing to grow at a strong pace, which is allowing us to invest in new branches and our staff. It has been another exceptional year at Flame, and our Cramlington launch is the latest in a series of exciting developments that will support and drive our growth.

"Kyle possesses a wealth of industry experience and knowledge, which will be key as we establish a presence in Cramlington and widen our geographical reach in the North East and beyond."