ILKESTON company Derwent Analytics has become a sponsor of enterprise agency Erewash Partnership which works to regenerate the borough.

The company, based at Falcon Court on the town's Manners Industrial Estate, makes bespoke solutions which are used in analysing for impurities in liquid processes, checking clean water streams at manufacturing plants and monitoring pollution to ensure product consistency and quality.

Earlier this year it announced that it had done a deal with Coca Cola in the UK who are using Derwent Analytics' know-how to test that the product they sell is the real thing.

The company, which employs nine people, was set up in 2001 by chemist Ian Hopkinson and his wife Bev.

It has been a member of the Partnership since that time and has now upgraded to become a sponsor.

Ian said: "I am committed to the local economy growing and value the help that we had from Erewash Partnership when we started.

"We want to ensure that such help for potential new businesses is still there for the foreseeable future."

Partnership chief executive Ian Viles welcomed the company's move. "I'm particularly delighted that a home-grown business has become our latest sponsor," he said.

"It's not very often that Ian needs us these days because he's capable of running his business successfully, but he clearly valued the initial support that the Partnership gave him.

"Ian joined the board earlier this year as a director and has now further strengthened his company's links with us and obviously wants to give something back to help others."