A BOLTON-based skip company has hired 25 new staff throughout the pandemic, bolstering its staff number to 60.

J Dickinson and Sons has grown into a 17-acre recycling village at Rivington View Business Park in Horwich, with the company offering recycling and waste removal services across the North West.

The family-run fourth generation firm has been aided by funding from Santander UK, which has helped settle the ship during a rocky few months.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has also helped purchase a state-of-the-art waste processing plant.

The plant provides a huge uplift for the firm, increasing the volume of waste that can be handled and boosting the company's efficiency.

James Dickinson, J Dickinson & Sons managing director, said: “Santander has understood J Dickinson & Sons’ business from the start, supporting our financial expansion over recent years.

"The pandemic impeded our personnel from normal working conditions, and we had to adapt to the new changes exponentially. The CBILS funding that Santander provided has allowed us to continue recruiting additional staff in a safe working environment, adhering to Government guidelines.”

The company offers a wide range of recycling services and facilities for both domestic and commercial users, including skip hire, shredding, crushing and screening facilities, and a 50m picking station.

What started out as a horse and cart haulage service more than 80 years ago has blossomed into a huge company with a vast fleet of vehicles, skips and other waste disposal equipment.

And Santander were pleased to be able to aid the firm that was formed as the world went to war in 1939.

Debbie Worthington, Relationship Director at Santander UK, said: “It’s brilliant to see this family run business, now in its fourth generation, continuing to thrive, even in the midst of a pandemic.

"We look forward to working with J Dickinson & Sons and supporting its journey of helping people in the North West dispose of their waste responsibly, and toward its aim of sending zero waste to landfill.”

For more information on the company, visit jdickinson.co.uk.