A RECRUITMENT agency that has seen Swindon grow from a railway town to a hub of high technology has celebrated its latest expansion.

Wyvern Staff was set up in 1972 by Anthony Green and Mervyn Hedges.

Among the employees was current owner Jenny Jefferies, who took over with husband Malcolm in 1989.

In the early days the firm was based at 100 Commercial Road, before moving to premises twice the size at 246 Commercial Road.

The latest move took Wyvern Staff to 45 and 46 Commercial Road, premises more than twice as large again.

Mrs Jefferies said: "When the business was set up, Swindon was a bit of a one-horse town.

"What was then known as Burma Oil had an office in Regent Circus and Allied Dunbar was in offices above Debenhams."

When the business started, the Railway works and the then British Leyland car plant were among the major employers.

And when women worked at all, they tended to work in schools, hospitals, for the council or for the GPO, which had a telephone exchange in Swindon.

Since then, Wyvern Staff, employing 10 people, has seen Swin-don become a hi-tech boom town, and has grown with the local economy.

Coups have included being awarded the contract for the entire recruitment process at Rover, which recently opened a second huge car plant near its existing one in South Marston.

Mrs Jefferies added: "We have built what I like to call a specialist recruitment arm in Honda.

"We take things through from first appointment to final interview, and we also do the necessary testing and administration."

"At 51, I am the oldest employment agency person in Swindon."

"I am not saying I am the oldest in terms of years, but I am the oldest in terms of having been involved in the business.

"I've seen many other agencies come and go!"

The latest change of headquarters was marked with a party at the new one.