A NEW £2.5million deal looks to set to create 20 new jobs for an ambitious Hyndburn wallpaper firm.

Bosses at Surface Print, in Clayton-le-Moors, want to expand their market reach by more than 20 per cent with the expansion.

Funding was secured from Lloyds Bank's commercial banking arm to boost production at the Broadley Mill site.

James Watson, their managing director, said: "Wallpaper has come back in fashion over the past decade with consumers, retailers and designers across the globe now requesting a wider range of high-quality designs.

"The funding we've received from Lloyds Bank has given us the financial headroom to boost production and meet clients' growing requirements and, as a result, we expect our turnover to hit £10million by the end of 2020.

"When we approached the team at Lloyds about the expansion, they took the time to really get to know our business and, as a result, were able to arrange a funding package that was exactly tailored to our needs."

Already the outfit exports to more than 70 countries and are aiming to increase that by 15 more locations over the next two years.

An overseas growth spurt, the firm hopes, would boost turnover by more than 40 per cent over the same time period.

Just over two years ago the company launched its own brand, 1838 Wallcoverings and they are using both heritage techniques and the latest print innovations to further their cause.

Garry Birchall, Lloyds relationship director, added: "The company already has an excellent reputation overseas, but to push forward with the next phase of its expansion it needed the correct funding in place."

The fourth-generation firm was established in 1990 by John Watson and supplies more than 100 brands worldwide.