A BLACKBURN company which recently sold a chemical microscope to a Japanese university is celebrating its second Far Eastern success.

Millbrook Scientific Instruments, in Challenge Way, has sold a chemical microscope to a large and diversified multi-national company based near Tokyo.

The company said the news is excellent as the Japanese market is increasingly important.

Millbrook completed its first sale worth more than $125,000 (about £83,000) to a Japanese University in May.

The latest order, the third sale since April 2002, was secured by Toyo Corporation, its Japanese distributor. The customer will take delivery of the instrument in September and has specified a number of additional functions to the standard model.

To date the company has sold a total of 12 instruments to prestigious customers including Pilkington plc, British Nuclear Fuels, The University of Liverpool, Philips Electronics (UK) and Imperial College.

Dr John Eccles, Commercial Director of Millbrook Scientific Instruments, said: "It's great that this sale follows so closely on the heels of our first Japanese order in May.

"Millbrook has a very close working relationship with Toyo, and we are both confident that we can keep this momentum going."