Brewin Dolphin has hired Paul Martin from Barclays Wealth and it is said he will be joined by three ex-colleagues when he takes up his new role of divisional director.

Martin, who was formerly a vice president, private banker at Barclays Wealth, is going to be joined at the firm by an assistant and two other former co-workers who have been appointed directors for the Leeds office, Citywire reports. According to the publication, one of these is likely to be Paul Redfearn, a financial planner at Barclays Wealth.

The UK-listed investment and wealth management firm did not reply to this publication's request for confirmation of the report at the time of going to press.

With these hires Brewin’s Leeds headcount has risen to 40 - and the firm is certainly in an expansionary mood elsewhere.

News emerged earlier this month that Brewin had assigned its Taunton team, led by Terry Leach, the task of launching a new Bristol office.

Leach, who has been head of Brewin’s Taunton office since its launch in 2000, will be joined by Jeremy Parrott, divisional director and financial planner, and two of their colleagues, all of whom will move to Bristol to kick-start Brewin’s new base.

Brewin announced its plans to open up in Bristol in May. The Bristol office, which will open in the next financial year will be Brewin’s forty-second in the UK and Channel Islands.