AN accountancy firm has expanded to keep up with the demand for its services in the digital sector.

Blu Sky Accountants, based in North Shields, has expanded its team from three to seven after a merger with Wearside accountancy outfit Red Sky Bookkeeping last year.

The fast-growing team was named Independent Firm of the Year in the North East Accountancy Awards 2011 due to its innovation in expanding into the digital sector.

The company, which was chosen by software giant Sage as the first to test its latest product Sage One, has also implemented a new website which provides a secure area for clients information.

Jon Dudgeon, partner at Blu Sky, said: “In some states of America it is illegal to send bank details via email as they are not secure. As a forward thinking firm we can see that happening here, so we’ve implemented the new secure area, which has the added advantage of being somewhere clients can upload their own documents to.

“We’re really happy with the progress we’ve made in a competitive environment, not only have we very recently welcomed two new employees to the team and we’ve also freshened our look with the ‘think Blu Sky’ brand. We were also delighted to be named as the Independent Firm of the Year.”

Sarah Turner who has recently joined the company as an accountant, said: “Blu Sky has a fantastically refreshing attitude and this position is a great opportunity for me to progress in my career.”