Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey has been given a stunning facelift - thanks to a window firm.

Olympic Glass has bought the abandoned Pilkington factory at the entrance to the town and spent more than £2m renovating it.

Managing director Gary Jenkins admitted: "It was horrendous and in a terrible state."

The 92,000 sq ft office block opposite the town's railway station had been allowed to fall into ruin. Its ageing blue panels were stained and dirty and looked as if the 1974 building was ready for demolition.

But now the three-storey headquarters have been given a new lease of life.

Mr Jenkins, 53, said: "We bought the building this year after a long lease. It was run down and in a severe state of dilapidation so we decided to spend a lot of money on it to give Queenborough a new look.

"We have completely gutted the inside and will be renting out the top floor to local companies for offices.

"The middle floor will be used for our research and development department and the bottom floor is for manufacturing."

Mr Jenkins, from Maidstone, originally launched the company on the Trinity Trading Estate in Sittingbourne in 1992. It will celebrate its 30th anniversary in March.

He explained: "We moved to Queenborough in 2000 when the premises first became available. We recognised the new Sheppey Crossing would make it much easier to get on and off the Island. At first, we were in the other end but in 2014 I took over the main building. Since then, we have invested about £2m in state-of-the-art equipment and refurbishment to allow us to expand."

He added: "We now have a staff of about 60 but are investing in new machinery and will shortly be looking to recruit more from the area."

The company specialises in top of the range insulated and safety glass for sealed double-glazing units and is now one of the biggest manufacturers in the south. It used all its own products including tinted, insulated, heat-reflecting and self-cleaning glass for the front of the premises.

Renovation work is still going on inside and there will be additional landscaping in the front. Mr Jenkins said: "Once we're finished, we want to hold a grand reopening later this spring."

The four-acre site is also home to Queenborough Business Park and boasts 12 other firms including Mini Land, Woodchain, DWL Windows, Target Damp, Shaw Haulage and Doggie Dinners.