Hartlepool is a county in the North West of England near Durham with a population of over 90,000. The town is based on the settlement which sprang up in 64 AD near Hartlepool Abbey, the original village was destroyed by the Vikings in 800AD.  The name Hartlepool comes from the Old English for ‘hart’ and ‘island’ ‘heort-ieg’.

Hartlepool has had a long and glorious maritime history and visitors can enjoy sights such as the Maritime Museum, HMS Trincomlee and PS Wingfield Castle.

Industries in the area have traditionally been ship building and ironworking however these declined during the post war period, Hartlepool has subsequently struggled to attract major employers to the area. Service industries and the local shopping centre have made inroads to filling the gap left by older industries however the area has a higher than average unemployment rate.