BURY-based staff of cosmetics giant L'Oreal has joined in the celebrations to mark the company's 30-year link with Manchester.

In January, L'Oreal relocated its professional products division from Middleton to a custom-built site at Roach Bank Road on the Pilsworth Industrial Estate, which employs a 77-strong workforce.

The site embraces a distribution and customer service centre and L'Oreal's customer care centre which serves 14,000 salons across the UK and Eire.

Last year 177,000 orders were despatched from the warehouse 5,100 tonnes.

The company has also moved its consumer products division warehousing to Trafford Park.

In addition to the new distribution centres, L'Oreal has made an investment of £1 million in a technical academy on Deansgate, Manchester. For a small fee, men and women of Manchester will be able to have their hair cut and coloured by some of the top stylists.

Sophie Gasperment, managing director of L'Oreal's consumer and professional products division said: "Manchester has been the home of L'Oreal's operations for 30 years and we employ some 250 people in the area. The location and talented skills set the city has to offer made it clear that this was an area we wanted to grow in."