An international telecoms training business based in Windermere has been sold for an undisclosed sum.

Wray Castle Training, has been bought by telecommunications and technology experts Fraser Curley and Andrew White.

Established in 1958 on the shores of Windermere, Wray Castle Training operates globally, training engineers from firms in cutting-edge communications technology.

Its customers include Vodafone, BT, Orange, T-Mobile, BAE Systems, government agencies, Network Rail, E.on and regulators like Ofcom.

Justin Ray, Darcie Rae and Kate Neilson, of Cumbrian accountants Armstrong Watson's corporate finance team, acted as lead advisers to the vendor on the deal.

Andrew Hill, of Baines Wilson, also provided legal advice for the sale.

Laura Jones, former owner, said: “It was a huge decision for us to put Wray Castle to market and was important that we passed the business on to those who would continue its growth and development, ensuring it remains an industry leader, and I am positive that Fraser, Andrew and their team will do exactly that.

“Having the right people help us throughout this process was incredibly significant and Armstrong Watson provided the knowledge, advice and reassurance we needed to make this huge step.

“The existing Wray Castle team have been phenomenal in their support of the company (and myself) over recent years and I am certain that they will all continue to thrive under Wray Castle’s new ownership.”

Darcie Rae, Armstrong Watson corporate finance manager, added: “It has been a pleasure working with the team at Wray Castle in securing the right deal for the vendors and the existing business. Fraser and Andrew bring with them a wealth of expertise which will take the business on to a new level, ultimately securing a long and prosperous future.”

Mr Curley, former executive at Saudi Telecom and Mr White, former executive at Zain Saudi Arabia, have already announced intentions to expand the newly formed Wray Castle Group within the Middle East and North Africa.

Mr Curley said: “The telecommunications industry globally faces the unprecedented challenges of needing to deploy 5G in an environment of relentless pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency, and the ever present threat of cyberattack, both to their operations and their customer base.

“Wray Castle is the pre-eminent source of telecoms training and knowledge transfer within the industry and we aim to become the professional services provider of choice for addressing the ever-broader knowledge-based challenges our clients face.

“Given our 5G track record with clients such as Vodafone and BT, we know that Wray Castle can add tremendous value across the MENA region.”

Mr White, chief executive of Wray Castle Group, added: “Wray Castle Training has an impressive track record of providing industry-leading training solutions to the largest global telecommunications companies in relationships that span decades.”