Story Contracting has recruited its 600th member of staff.

Chris Sooman has joined the firm, which has its headquarters in Kingstown, Carlisle.

He will join it Story’s Rail Scotland division, which is based in Uddingston, near Glasgow as a trainee quantity surveyor.

“It’s a privilege to join a company that’s as well regarded and as ambitious as Story Contracting," he said.

"I’m looking forward to being part of the business going forward and getting involved in many exciting projects with the Rail team, and hopefully contributing to future successes.”

Helen Jamieson, the firm's HR manager, said: “Story Contracting will also celebrate its 30th anniversary in August – to reach 600 employees in 30 years is a fantastic achievement for the business.

"The growth of our workforce is testament to the ambitions of the company, and shows how far we’ve come in such a short space of time. Our success is built on the hard work of our people and their commitment to living the Story values and ‘doing it right’.”

Story Contracting was set up in 1987 by Fred Story and works in the construction and rail industries.

Story Contracting and Story Homes demerged from Story Group in 2013 to become separate companies.