A commercial property expert has launched his own consultancy after 30 years working in the county.

Richard Stafford, who was named top dealmaker in Kent for four straight years from 2012 to 2015 by Estates Gazette, has set up Stafford Perkins Chartered Surveyors in Ashford.

He has worked in the county since 1985 first with Geering & Colyer, then Colyer Commercial and, for the past decade, as a director with Ashford-based Taylor Riley Stafford.

A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Mr Stafford said: “The time was right for me to set out my own vision of what a modern commercial property consultancy should be.

“My established clients have responded very positively and I’m looking forward to delivering a highly personalised service which is tailored to their own individual needs.

“There was never a doubt that I would choose Ashford as the home of my new business. It’s a dynamic and fast growing town that is ideally suited to my own aspirations to expand my services to clients both old and new.”

Mr Stafford, whose expertise is with agricultural and rural clients, is a former chairman of Ashford Chamber of Commerce.

His new company has become a letting agent for the first phase of the Commercial Quarter in the town, a multi-million-pound town centre office and retail scheme from Canterbury-based property development company Quinn Estates.

Director Mark Quinn said: “Having known him for more than 20 years, I’ve been happy to instruct Richard to market the Commercial Quarter scheme in Ashford along with other properties.”

Born in Bangor, North Wales, Mr Stafford now lives in Stowting with his wife Jane and has a 10-year-old daughter.