A LONG-ESTABLISHED marketing and design agency has been chosen for England.

Pollett & Cole, founded some 20 years ago in Whitstable, has been sold to an agency called england, a Leeds-based communications consultancy, for an undisclosed sum.

england, which employs 60 staff, already works with a number of public-sector organisations in the county, including Locate in Kent, Swale Forward, East Kent Partnership and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Malcombe Pollett and Debbie Cole, co-founders of the growing Kent agency, and their 15 staff will continue in the business.

Mr Pollett said it was business as usual. But the time was right to join a larger agency to take it on to a different level. "I am very pleased," he said.

england chief executive Tony Stanton said it was a natural fit.

He said: "Our work for existing Kent-based clients convinced us that the area was perfect for business and we began to look for established agencies to acquire and to take advantate of the opportunities in the market."

Pollett & Cole had the right mix of experienced staff, good investment in creative resources and long-established clients.