ENGINEERING giant Alstom has announced orders worth more than £4 billion for its third quarter.

The French-owned company, which employs almost 2,000 people in Stafford, said it received £4.09 billion of orders from October last year to the end of December. Sales also reached £4.09 billion.

Alstom said its Grid business – which includes the base at Stafford – won orders worth £980 million.

That figure was boosted by a £200 million contract awarded to the firm's Engineering Centre of Excellence in Stafford from the Swedish state-owned utility company Svenska Kraftnät.

The Sentinel reported earlier this month that the deal would help create more than 100 new jobs in Stafford.

Sales amounted to £822.9 million during the quarter.