FIRMS across the North East will be helped to become the UK's leading wind turbine maintenance experts.

Testing facilities at Blyth’s National Renewable Energy Centre will be made available to up to 80 North companies thanks to £2.5m of European investment.

The move will make Blyth and Tyneside the centre of the UK offshore wind industry, making it possible to replicate the success Aberdeen has enjoyed in the offshore oil sector.

Communities minister Baroness Hanham will visit Narec today as the European funding is handed over for blade-testing facilities.

Narec is already building the world’s largest wind turbine blade-testing factory, thanks to cash from development agency One North East, and now wants local firms to be able to do their bit to create a multi-billion pound supply chain.

Bosses there say the opportunities are growing all the time thanks to Government plans to build thousands of offshore wind turbines more than 100 miles out to sea at Dogger Bank.

While many smaller firms in the region may not be able to build the turbines or blades, they stand a chance of winning contracts for repair and maintenance work or in the construction supply chain.

To do that they will need to know the turbines inside out and the £2.5m handed over today will allow Narec to tailor its services for smaller and medium-sized firms in the region.