ABOUT 100 North-East jobs will be created as a home and leisure chain expands in the region.

The Range is opening a site in Darlington Retail Park and is now recruiting for staff.

Bosses say the outlet, which will be based in Homebase’s former Yarm Road site, will employ about 100 full-time and part-time people.

The company says jobs will cover management, warehouse and administration posts, with the store opening on Friday, April 3.

The news is the second employment lift for Darlington in as many days after The Northern Echo exclusively revealed outsourcing firm Capita had secured hundreds of posts in the town.

Owned and run by entrepreneur Chris Dawson, The Range operates a number of departments, including DIY, furniture, homeware and arts and crafts.

It previously opened a site in a former Focus DIY base in Benton, North Tyneside, creating about 150 posts, and has outlets in Stockton, Hartlepool and Sunderland.

Mr Dawson, who founded the company in 1980 as a market trader, said the region was important to its growth plans.

He said: “We are confident the people of Darlington will enjoy what we have to offer.

“We are a fast growing company, Darlington will play an important role in our expansion, and I’m looking forward to allowing people to see what we’re all about.”

The move comes after Capita, which handles a wide range of contracts for the private and public sector, confirmed it will set up base on Lingfield Point Business Park, using 42,000 sq ft of space to accommodate about 450 staff from its existing offices in the town.

Speaking about that move, Susan Ring, Capita Employee Benefits’ chief executive, added: “This represents an exciting chapter for us.

“We were looking to create a flagship site in Darlington and Lingfield Point ticked all the boxes.”

However, The Range’s arrival comes as doubts remain over jobs at two further companies in the town.

DeepOcean UK, which has offices in Coniscliffe Road and is known for underwater power cable laying, will cut its 136-strong workforce by a third later this month as it adjusts to falling oil prices and what it says has been a Government failure to stop UK offshore work going to foreign rivals.

BT also last week announced it was buying EE, which is Darlington’s largest employer with about 2,000 staff, in a £12.5bn deal.

BT bosses have remained tight-lipped about potential job losses among EE’s 2,000 Darlington-based call centre workers, but have admitted the deal will lead to cost cuts when the companies combine.