THE chief executive of the Charles Hurst motor sales group, Mr Fred Maguire, has been appointed chief executive of Hurst's parent company, Lookers.

Mr Maguire's appointment comes approximately a year after Lookers paid £25 million for Charles Hurst. The company is the biggest motor dealer group in Northern Ireland.

Lookers employs over 2,500 people in 92 locations in the UK and in the year to last September had pre tax profits of £8.1 million on sales of over £500 million. Woodchester Investments has a 29 per cent shareholding in Lookers.