Insurance firm in £2m investment

Northern Ireland insurance broker Hughes Insurance has announced plans to invest £2m on expanding its headquarters in County Down.

The company said the expansion would double the size of the premises and provide the capacity for an estimated 200 new jobs in the Newtownards area.

Hughes is currently recruiting another 20 employees "to cater for the ongoing growth of its customer base".

The company also anticipates recruiting 200 people over the next two years.

The investment in the headquarters expansion follows a £1m expansion in the company's local network in 2008 which involved opening four new branches.

Hughes Insurance chief executive Gareth Brady said: "The expansion of our premises in Newtownards is absolutely essential.

"We are literally bursting at the seams and have had to relocate our fast growing commercial insurance department to nearby rental accommodation to relieve the pressure on space."