JCB has won one of its biggest orders ever - a deal worth more than £50 million from UK plant hire firm A-Plant.

The deal includes micro, mini and midi excavators, Loadall telescopic handlers, tracked excavators and site dumpers. They are being made at JCB's Staffordshire factories in Rocester, Uttoxeter and Cheadle and are being supplied by JCB dealer Greenshields JCB.

The deal means A-Plant has now bought 10,000 machines from JCB since purchasing the first more than 25 years ago. The latest products are now rolling off production lines and delivery will continue throughout 2015.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: 'This order is very significant as it is one of the largest JCB has ever won. We are delighted that A-Plant has chosen us to supply such an extensive range of products.'

A-Plant, which is part of FTSE-100 company Ashtead Group plc, is one of the UK's largest equipment rental companies with over 135 service centres in Britain, more than 2,700 employees nationwide and over 30,000 customers in the construction, industrial, commercial, utility, public sector, homeowner and events markets.

JCB - which this year marks its 70th anniversary - is the market leader in the UK and Ireland construction equipment market and has eight dealers with 48 depots providing unrivalled back-up support to customers.