A TEAM of Spanish delegates made a flying visit to Rossendale to strike up a £1million deal with a Whitworth based company.

BCH Limited, based in Spring Place, who make machinery used to manufacture liquorice, secured the deal with Spanish company Sanchez Carno, who trade under the name Fini.

Managing director Tony Coates, who runs the company with his wife Christine, has seen the company flourish from being a one-man operation when it was established 23 years ago to become a world leader which now employs around 100 people.

The couple, who live in Bacup, welcomed the Spanish delegates to their process engineering headquarters in Whitworth.

Mr Coates said: "We sold them a liquorice line machine which produces fruit flavoured liquorice twists which are sold all over the world."