Gloucestershire-based municipal vehicle hire company Collett Transport Services' (CTS) has come to the attention of Government minister Andrea Leadsom who visited its new depot in Brackley in her South Northamptonshire consituency. 

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who was a leading Brexit campaigner, met Bob Sweetland, managing director of parent company Specialist Fleet Services (SFS), who explained the contract hire and fleet management company's plans for growth.

And they were joined by senior representatives from SFS's owners Paragon Bank and depot manager Allan Robinson.

Mrs Leadsom said: 'I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit CTS's new depot and to celebrate the new jobs and opportunities it will provide to the area. It is great to know that the company is doing so well and, as a keen supporter of apprenticeships as a means to provide young people with valuable skills, I will follow their aspiration to take an apprentice next year with great interest'

Specialist Fleet Services provides fleet and workshop management solutions to local authorities and the private sector across the UK, including South Northamptonshire Council. It acquired Gloucestershire-based CTS in October 2013 to expand its range of services and offer short to long-term municipal vehicle hire. The Brackley depot will enable CTS to build on its nationwide service.

Bob Sweetland, Managing Director, SFS said: 'We were delighted to welcome Andrea to our new premises; to show what we do here and discuss our future plans. We have already created eight new job opportunities and plan to take on more staff in 2017, including an apprentice'