AN independent accident repair centre in Wellington is celebrating after another top motor manufacturer nominated it as an “approved repairer for passenger cars”.

South Street Motors ARC Ltd, based at Chelston Business Park, is now the only accident repair business in Somerset to have Mercedes-Benz approval.

The company is already approved by nine other manufacturers, including Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda, BMW and Mini.

Every body shop that conforms to Mercedes-Benz certification must adhere to the company's guidelines for collision repair, including specialised equipment, diagnostics, training, materials and repair methods.

South Street Motors staff have been sent on special training courses and the company has invested heavily in new equipment, approved by Mercedes-Benz.

South Street Motors ARC Ltd, part of the SSM group, is a family business and was founded in 1977 by its current managing director. The Accident Repair Centre employs 19 people and covers the entire South West.

Managing director Jon a'Court-Wills said: "On top of all the other approvals we have, this is the icing on the cake.

"It's a great accolade for us.

"I am very proud of all our staff who have helped us gain this prestigious approval.

“We have been working very closely with Mercedes-Benz South West to get to this point and we are very grateful for their assistance and support.

"Mercedes-Benz set very high standards in the repair of their vehicles and our team take great pride in delivering these high standards to our customers.”