Bradford-based workers at an advertising agency have welcomed a £500,000 management take-over of the company.

Half of The Charles Walls Group's 40 staff come from Bradford and are currently based at offices in Towngate, Calverley.

They will be moving to new offices in the riverside development near Granary Wharf in Leeds.

CWG, owned by John and Susan Oldfield, was sold to Birmingham-based 10 Group plc which specialises in advertising agency and property investments.

It was founded over 50 years ago in Bradford before moving to Calverley and its client lists includes GNER, Rugby Super League and The Royal Armouries Museum.

CWG's management team bought shares in 10 Group.

Bradford-born planning director Owen Williams, 30, is one of five directors - along with managing director Dave McIntosh, creative director Dave White, sales director Dave Sewards and PR director Dave Winters.

He joined the company in February last year from Yorkshire Cable Communications after six years with the Yorkshire Building Society.

Mr Williams left Buttershaw Upper School aged 18 with three 'O' levels but after joining YBS he gained a BTEC and MBA in Business Studies and a Diploma in Management Studies by studying after work.

He said: "I'm delighted the take-over's gone through for myself and for the company because we've got a hardworking bunch of people who have waited very patiently for the move.

"From a personal point of view, hopefully I'm an example of the benefits of hard work and I want to carry on working hard as I set my personal ambitions quite high."

MD Dave McIntosh said everything was in place to confirm CWG's position as one of the North's leading agencies with the emphasis on creativity, planning and the strongest possible link to delivering bottom-line results for clients.

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