One of the region's fastest growing car dealerships today unveiled plans for further acquisitions which will see it treble in size in the next five years.

Otley Motors has already seen its turnover increase five-fold in as many years to a current level of £30 million.

Now chairman and managing director John Graham has announced plans for further investment and growth with the creation of a cross-country "corridor of no-frills dealerships".

The expansion is expected to create investment and jobs in towns stretching from Hull in the east to Preston in the west.

Mr Graham, who bought Otley Motors with a business partner in 1997, said: "From its base in Otley, the company has grown steadily for a number of years and we believe it is time to move into the next stage of our development by creating a much larger network covering a huge area of Yorkshire and parts of Lancashire."

The group employed just 16 staff when he took over, but that expanded with the purchase of Bingley Motors in 2000.

In February this year, Mr Graham added Ignition Car Supermarkets in Accrington, Lancashire, to the portfolio.

He said: "We have already started to look at sites and potential acquisitions and we are confident that this programme will see the company achieve its target turnover of £100 million within five years."

The company is hoping to benefit from new exemption rules, which come into force in October, which will force some dealers to withdraw from their franchises.

Mr Graham added: "We've built a very successful business by adopting a no-frills approach to car sales and we believe it's time to extend our horizons. We are looking to develop a corridor of no-frills dealerships stretching virtually from coast to coast and our aim is to become one of the largest and most influential regional players."