The move allows Polestar to further meet its commitment to membership of WWF UK's Forest Trade Network.

Varnicoat's accreditation comes less than two years after Polestar Direct became the first company within the organisation to secure the status in December 2006.

Gary Marshall, group environmental advisor at Polestar, said: "If you're going to promote FSC and PEFC paper then you have to ensure that it is the same across the board.

"We've been systematically rolling it out across the group and we can now meet the needs of our existing and potential customers."

Earlier this year, Polestar Colchester sealed FSC certification.

Phil Boynes, managing director of Polestar Varnicoat, said: "Although we have had the benefit of the experiences of our sister companies, the team at Varnicoat has worked hard and we are of course awarded this status in our own right, which is testimony to the efforts put in."