Cheltenham based accountants, Smith Heath, have further strengthened their accounting team with the appointment of Raymond Shirvington as a senior accountant.

Joining the firm in June, Raymond brings a wealth of experience gained over a 25 year career working in general practice. Although initially training with a top international firm, Raymond has, in more recent years, worked in a smaller Gloucestershire based accounting firm. As such he has the benefit of both excellent training and being familiar with the issues facing local businesses.

He said: "When I first met with Tim and Paul, I was impressed with the company ethic and I must say that I am enjoying working with Smith Heath, the office has a good atmosphere and the team are very open and friendly.

"I am currently concentrating on building relationships with both colleagues and clients and getting used to how Smith Heath operates. In due course I look forward to becoming involved in the full range of general accountancy work undertaken here."

Director Tim Heath added: "We are delighted that Raymond has joined the firm, he's a very thorough, technically-aware accountant and is already proving to be a valuable addition to our team.

"The practice has grown over the past couple of years, which I believe is an indication of the service that we provide. It is important that we not only look to maintain the quality of our service, but strive to improve it and Raymond joining the firm has certainly assisted with this process. We now have a team of ten, including five fully qualified accountants and I think that we are well placed to provide the local business community with a cost effective professional accountancy option."