A mortgage company is continuing to build for success by hiring more than 25 staff.

Preferred Mortgages, which was founded in 1996, has about 13,000 customers and expects to be managing mortgage balances in excess of £1 billion by the end of the year.

The Haywards Heath-based company offers loans to people in difficult or unusual circumstances, such as the recently self-employed or people with county court judgements against them.

About a fifth of all applicants are refused mortgages by traditional lenders.

Preferred Mortgages was formed by just three people but now employs about 200 staff.

The new positions range from funding and accounts administrators to assistant accountants and underwriters.

Thursday May 1 2003