A North Sea firm hopes to create 100 jobs for seafarers in the Great Yarmouth area after securing a new contract.

Emergency response and rescue vessel operator Vroon Offshore Services first set up a base in Yarmouth in 2012.

Its fleet of vessels serves as a lifeline for workers on remote oil rigs in the North Sea. Vroon, headquartered in Aberdeen, has now won a five-ship charter and support contract with a major North Sea oil and gas operator.

The contract has been signed for five firm years, followed by four optional extra years.

Evert Maandag, managing director, said: 'It is well known that Yarmouth has a strong maritime history and we are very keen to tap into the local pool of well-qualified personnel.

'This expansion will create job opportunities for more than 100 seafarers.

'Over the last few years we have continually grown our presence in this area. We are now entering the next phase of our development and this contract represents a major leap forward for us.'

He said the firm's Yarmouth office was dedicated to local technical support and crew recruitment for ships operating in the North Sea.

And he hoped Vroon's expansion would continue.

'We believe the combination of investment in new vessels and additional personnel, plus the economies of scale this contract represents, make the future very bright,' he said.

The vessels operating under the new contract will be modern emergency response and rescue and field-support vessels. All of them are currently under construction and will be equipped with a wave-piercing bow shape, exclusively designed for Vroon.

Its Yarmouth base is in rented premises in South Denes Road, and the firm operates around 50 vessels.

Emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs) - equipped with speed boats, heli-spots and an on board medical centre - wait on standby near offshore installations in case the worst should happen.

Most staff are not employed to work onshore but bosses are keen that crews are local to Yarmouth.

This will reduce travel, which can add up as crews change over after about 28 days on location.

The main areas of operation include west Shetland, northern, central and southern North Sea and the Irish Sea Basin.

Vroon's emergency service is a round the clock service for 365 days a year at location, providing safety to all those who work offshore.

Seafarers interested in working with Vroon should hold the relevant certificate of competency for their rank, STCW required training and a valid ENG1 medical certificate.

To apply email crewcareers@deesidecrewing.com or call 01224 578750 for details.

The company website is www.vroon.nl