STAFF at a south Herefordshire software firm have been celebrating after tying up a huge contract with an international manufacturer.

Champagne corks have been popping at Muddy Boots Software, near Ross-of-Wye, which recently completed a £1.5m deal to sell its software to Persil manufacturer Unilever.

The deal is one of the biggest in the firm's history and will also create several more jobs around the county.

The Phocle Green-based firm was founded in 1996 and provides a range of software and data monitoring systems to clients including M&S and the Compass Group.

This latest deal will see Muddy Boots provide Unilever with its Quickfire system to monitor the firm's dried, frozen fruit and vegetable supply base.

The contract will be carried out over three years and will involve the sale of 400 multilingual systems to be used worldwide.

The software will have an impact of millions of consumers across the world.

The production of two of Britain's favourite tea brands, Lipton and PG Tips, will be monitored by Muddy Boots' software while it will also help meet Unilever's 10 sustainability indicators.

Muddy Boots' desire to help Unilever meet its environmental pledges was crucial in securing the deal and managing director Jonathan Evans is delighted to seal the contract.

"Unilever's decision to form a relationship with Muddy Boots illustrates their confidence in our capacity to add value to their business and to support their quest for sustainable development," said Mr Evans.

"We value our relationship with Unilever and believe strongly in their commitment to their sustainability programme growing for the future'. We look forward to working closely with them and their suppliers in developing those values."