Hammonds has expanded its hotels and leisure sector with the hire of former Halliwells leisure group head Chris Eddlestone.

Eddlestone joined the firm’s Manchester arm as a consultant last month to take on a newly-created role heading up the firm’s national hotel and leisure services team. He had been at the now-defunct Halliwells since 1999, prior to which he spent 16 years at Northwest practice Birchall Blackburn.