A Taverham-based training and development firm has secured a major contract with the Chinese government to teach thousands of students from the Far East.

Right Angle Events, which recreates crime scene investigation for team building exercises, will working with 3,500 Chinese pupils in a contract worth £25,000.

And the former EDP Future 50 company is hopeful of finalising further work with schools in Italy and Sweden as part of a growing international demand for its services.

The firm, which usually seals contracts worth about £1,500, said the internet played a vital role in allowing it to be competitive overseas and break into new markets – including China.

Steve Gaskin, education director, said the company, which recently increased its work force from four people to seven, was looking to grow its turnover this year by 31pc – from £190,000 to £250,000.

And he said the firm was also keen to broker an agreement between Norfolk schools and China to arrange overseas visits.

'We now live in a global village because the internet has taken down some of the barriers for small business,' Mr Gaskin said.

'If you go back 15 years, this contract would have never happened for us, but now we are able to compete on a national level.

'We have already had an approach from a series of schools in Sweden. It is good for our company because it means that we should be able to expand some of our services. Manufacturing may be struggling in this country at the moment, but our services industries are strong.'

Established seven years ago, the company draws on the experience of Mr Gaskin's previous career as a Scotland Yard detective chief inspector – and his wife's work in the Metropolitan Police – to create scenarios where groups have to work together to draw clues from a recreated crime scene.

The work with the Chinese students will be spread across the summer at a venue in Euston Road, London, where schools from across China taking part in the programme during a visit to the UK.

He added: 'What this China contract does is give the company stability. It provides future proof for the staff wages and allows project development.

'What we have tried to do is grow incrementally. We don't want to be in a position where we have a lot of work, but cannot deliver 100pc quality.

'Our customer base is increasing all the time. We started this company in a recession, and it was quite a new thing to do, but there are other markets that we are continually looking to break into, including the bar council and workers within the criminal justice system.'

He added: 'After completing the work, the next strategy will be to talk to schools in China and try to arrange some overseas trips for Norfolk schoolchildren.'