Mortgage administration firm Homeloan Management Ltd (HML) has signed a major contract which could lead to 600 jobs.

The Skipton-based firm has signed a deal with mortgage lender GMAC-RFC, which is part of the massive car builder General Motors group of companies.

The contract, which could see HML double its turnover in five years, will see the firm take over GMAC's post completion administration and collections.

HML has acquired a 20,000 sq ft site at Shuttleworth Mead, near Burnley, to meet the initial expansion and is currently negotiating to build a 30,000-50,000 sq ft building at the same location to cater for the anticipated growth.

Steve Haggerty, managing director of HML, said: "This is excellent news for Yorkshire business and the North of England as a whole.

"A top UK lender has chosen to work with HML against serious competition from multinational outsourcing and IT companies. We regard this as a significant demonstration of the quality of our service and our team.

"We are actively recruiting in both Yorkshire and Lancashire to meet the current and future needs of this and other contracts.''