An online regional letting agent has acquired a high street business – which has now closed its premises – with the boss buying his former employers.

Digital business My Property Box, which covers the north-east and North Yorkshire from an address in the centre of Darlington, has acquired Sandersons Lettings. As part of the agreement, the Sandersons office in Darlington has closed with three members of staff transferring.

Ben Quaintrell, founder and managing director of My Property Box, started his career with Sandersons Lettings.

He joined straight from school and worked there for eight years under the guidance of director Gordon Catterick.

Quaintrell, who founded My Property Box seven years ago, said:  “I’d like to thank Gordon Catterick for providing me with my first job and equipping me with the necessary skills and knowledge of the lettings industry that enabled me to start my own business.

“This deal is special both on a personal and business level. It’s a privilege to incorporate the business which gave me my start in the profession into My Property Box.

Catterick said: “Sandersons Lettings was created more than 25 years ago from the estate agency Sanderson Townend & Gilbert, which itself was in business for more than 150 years.

“It was founded on the principles of providing the very best of professional advice, an ethos continued by Sandersons Lettings – a fact reflected in the loyalty of its clients and the professionalism of its staff, something I’m sure that will continue under the banner of My Property Box.”

My Property Box recently acquired another high street business, Holt Estate Agents which formerly had an office in Thornaby.

Below, Gordon Catterick and Ben Quaintrell outside the former Sandersons office, now closed