A £25 million wastewater contract with United Utilities will eventually create 100 new jobs at the Stoneclough-based Bethell Group.

And the group is also taking on another 30 people to staff the new security company it has established in response to demand from clients.

The five-year United Utilities contract involves Bethell operating a 24-hour control room to monitor sewer blockages throughout the Greater Manchester area.

Bethell expects to carry out 1,000 jobs a month unblocking sewers and carrying out major repair work on those which have collapsed. The contract has also led the group to combine all its wastewater maintenance facilities such as CCTV cameras and high-pressure water jetting vans into a single company, Bethell Utilities Ltd.

The company has also invested heavily in sewer jetting and CCTV vans to supplement its existing fleet.

Bethell Utilities forms part of Bethell Utility Services Division.

It also includes the laying of electrical distribution systems, multi-service facilities for housing estates, pest control, the new security company and gully emptying.

Mr Mike Lane, the division's managing director, said: "The challenge of providing a dedicated response team for Greater Manchester local authority areas is a huge undertaking.

"As a result, we have reorganised certain of our industrial services into a new company geared to providing a comprehensive wastewater maintenance service."

The new security company -- Bethell Security Services -- uses the same control room to provide a 24-hour security alarm monitoring station.

There are also mobile patrols, static guards, car park management and remote CCTV monitoring.

The company has already worked for Manchester Airport, Railtrack, local councils, Travelodge and the Hartwell Group.