Stanhope factory in £70m MoD manufacturing contract

The factory produces the tracks and armour for British Army tanks

More than 100 jobs have been secured in a £70m Ministry of Defence (MoD) deal with a County Durham factory supplying vehicle track to the British Army.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced the four-year contract at Cook Defence Systems Ltd in Stanhope.

Part of the William Cook Group, it has been manufacturing tracks and armour for tanks since World War Two.

Group chairman Andrew Cook said Britain must maintain a "strong and independent armoured warfare capability".