A MALTON firm has won Government backing to research and develop a new system to help reprocess and clean nuclear waste. Now five more jobs are likely to be generated.

Remote Marine Systems, which specialises in making equipment for use in the handling of hazardous materials, has won a £55,000 DTI-sponsored Smart award to help it improve the manipulating machines used in treating nuclear waste.

It is bound to have global repercussions for the company on the York Road Industrial Estate and lead to five new jobs over the next year.

The system will provide the power-backing to the mechanical manipulators manually operated from behind 1.5-metre thick leaded windows, giving them increased control and force.

The company, which has 40 staff and a turnover of £2.5 million, was advised through all stages of its Smart application by Roger Benson, innovation and technology adviser of Business Link North Yorkshire.

Gordon Robertson, Remote Marine Systems' joint managing director and co-founder of the company in 1983, said: "We are indebted to Business Link for helping us win this award, which we are very confident is going to have great benefits.

"Roger Benson was a massive help. He not only approached us initially to make us aware of the availability of the Smart scheme but also held our hands throughout the entire application stage."