AN East Lancashire company of surveyors will be putting goods under the hammer in Haslingden.

Chorley-based surveyors, shm Smith Hodgkinson, are centralising their auction services at a new facility in Haslingden.

The move follows increased demand for shm's commercial auction services.

It is part of ongoing expansion plans, but means the closure of their domestic auction centre in Chorley.

Joint senior partner Andrew Duckworth said: "The Auction Centre building in Chorley offered limited space and has become unsuitable for the growing volume of commercial auction work which we are now undertaking.

"Our new purpose-built warehouse offers us the ability to respond quickly to client requirements for storage and sale on site.

"This move will enable us to consolidate all our auction facilities in one building. It will not affect our commercial and residential estate agency businesses in Chorley, which are going from strength to strength."

In addition to auction and real estate services, shm is one of the UK's leading practices focused on providing specialist advice to insolvency practitioners, banks and recovery professionals in the valuation and disposal of corporate assets.