A FARMING focused insurance company has opened a new office at Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart in Otley.

The move by Farmers & Mercantile is part of a wider drive as the independent brokerage seeks to increase its presence in the region.

The firm has also made key internal promotions and invested significantly in IT, while moving its marketing department to its Yorkshire office at Newby Hall, Ripon - where it will be headed up by Paige Dalby.

She said: "The investment is aimed at bringing us even closer to our customers.

"Understanding and advising on the unique and individual circumstances of our farm clients is key to everything we do, and investing in our team and facilities in Yorkshire will help our strategic growth plans."

Dominic Snook, meanwhile, has been promoted to the role of On-Farm Insurance Adviser.

With a client-base stretching from Hull to the Lake District, and from Berwick down to Lincolnshire, the company's Yorkshire branch provides independent insurance services for arable, livestock and estate insurance.