SENIOR staff at a North Yorkshire plumbing supplies firm have broken away to set up their own rival company - less than half a mile down the road.

Two managers have walked out of the Malton branch of national plumbers merchant chain, Plumbline Supplies Ltd, with a third leaving the Leeds branch.

They intended to start a new venture at the same Showfield industrial estate and have siphoned three more staff from their old firm.

They are former Malton Plumbline manager, John Helliwell, his former deputy manager Mick Dodson, and former Leeds branch manager Glenn Moxon.

All secured undisclosed six-figure funding from Bank of Scotland Corporate to launch Watermark Plumbing Supplies at the Pyramid Estate.

It left bosses of the Plumbline Supplies branch with only two people and scrambling to get staff reinforcements to prevent closure.

"Good luck to them," said a rueful Mark Alan, temporary manager drafted in to hold the fort from Newcastle Plumbline Supplies. "It was a brave thing for them to do and I take my hat off to them, but we have a large national company behind us.

"Some customers may divert but will come back. Customers will have no illusions about the service and stock we offer."

A new assistant manager was now in place and a new manager would start in four weeks. Meanwhile staff from other branches had been drafted in. "The lads who felt their jobs were placed in jeopardy are more determined than they have been in a long, long time," he said.

But founders of the new Watermark Plumbing Supplies predict that turnover for their new venture will be £1million in its first year, and plan to open further branches in Yorkshire within the next three years

Initially they will supply trade from York to Scarborough with parts and products ranging from boilers to bathrooms, but within the next few months there will also be a bathroom, tile and fireplace showroom at the Malton site for general consumers.

Glenn said: "We have worked for Plumbline happily for a number of years but we have always had aspirations to run our own company."

Updated: 10:41 Monday, March 21, 2005