New jobs created at Sports Direct warehouse

 500 HUNDRED new jobs are being created at a sports retailer's warehouse.

Sports Direct wants the extra staff to join the 3,000 workers already employed at its Shirebrook site. 

It says business is booming – partly because of thriving interest in sport created by the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Leon Turnbull, from the firm's recruitment department, said: "This is just the start. Our business is growing at a massive rate.

"We want 500 more now and who knows how many more in the future.

"It has partly been created by the wonderful summer of sport we have had. We need more people to help handle all of the orders."

The jobs will be a huge boost to the surrounding area, which has been affected by a high level of unemployment.

Nearly one in 20 people in the Mansfield district are unemployed, with some wards having rates as high as nearly one in ten.

More than seven per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds in the district are jobless.

Sports Direct is one of the UK's best-known retailers of sportswear and equipment. It has stores across the country and in others including Belgium, France, Holland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Cyprus and the Republic of Ireland.

The jobs boost has been welcomed by business leaders.

George Cowcher, chief executive of the Derbyshire and Notts Chamber of Commerce, said: "It is welcome news. It's a good boost for the local economy.

"It goes to show what a key location this is for investment. Official figures suggest we are still in recession but we see investment like this and a lot of businesses are telling us it is not as bad as official figures suggest.

"Businesses are growing. There is plenty of activity. NWe are fighting back."

David Kirkham, strategic manager at the Nottinghamshire City and County Employment and Skills Board, said: "This is fantastic news. These are real jobs.

"We have got 10,000 young people unemployed in our area, so the more jobs we can get the better."