THREE Furness firms are poised to expand and create jobs after securing government grant aid.

Urofoam at Askam-in-Furness has been awarded an enterprise grant from the DTI to help the business move into branded footwear manufacture and marketing using the Internet.

Accurite Industries in Dalton won a 30 per cent research and development grant from the DTI to develop a revolutionary new method of cutting sandstone for use in quarries throughout Britain and Europe.

Work will be carried out in Dalton and is expected to lead to the formation of a new manufacturing facility.

Meanwhile Bob Stewart is starting up a high quality cattery care business and pet consultancy centre in a redundant building at Scales, near Ulverston, with the help of a substantial conversion grant from the North West Development Agency.

The three projects are expected to create 30 jobs and represent a total investment of nearly £ 750,000.

Furness Enterprise helped all three businesses prepare their bid applications.

Chief executive Harry Knowles said: "Companies and people starting up in business need money and markets to help them start up and grow, here we have three instances where a diverse range of businesses are being supported financially to provide jobs in rural Furness."

Administration manager Ian Tillotson added: "All these projects have benefited from our 'access to finance' support scheme which involves partnering companies in helping them to prepare applications for government grant aid."