MILLIONS of pounds worth of extra investment could be made in the region as a result of the latest phase of development at Teesport, development leaders said last night.

The approval of plans to build a £50m import centre at the Middlesbrough port, creating 800 direct jobs as well as several hundred more with local suppliers and distributors as a knock-on result, has been hailed as fantastic news for the North-East.

And the news comes only weeks after PD Ports, owner of Teesport, won planning permission from the Government to expand the site to include a £300m deep-sea container terminal - in a project known as the Northern Gateway - which will allow direct imports from the Far East and Asia.

At least 5,500 jobs are expected to be created as a result of the expansion, which is expected to be completed by 2011.

The first stage of the import centre, which will stand on 68 acres of land on PD Ports' site at Tees Dock, is expected to be in operation by summer next year.

The latest phase of development at the thriving port was said to have the potential to add millions of pounds of further investment to the North-East economy.

Ian Williams, director of business and industry at regional development agency One North East, said the rapid expansion of Teesport had elevated PD Ports to become one of the region's key businesses.

"This development has the potential to create hundreds of jobs and trigger millions of pounds of investment so it is fantastic news, both for the Tees Valley and the region as a whole,"

he said. "PD Ports is already a major employer in the area and these plans, which have been confirmed just weeks after the Government gave formal planning approval for Teesport's Northern Gateway container terminal, will secure its place as one of the North-East's leading businesses."

Councillor George Dunning, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, also welcomed the latest phase of development, and said the employment created was vital for the area.

"The announcement of 800 new jobs at PD Ports is fantastic news not only for Redcar and Cleveland, but for the wider Teesside and Tees Valley area,"

he said.

Joanne Fryett, head of member relations with the North-East Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is a huge step forward. An additional 800 jobs will all add to reducing unemployment.

"With the recent announcement of the business park next to Durham Tees Valley Airport and plans for the Tees Valley Metro, among so many other things going on, what is happening at Teesport really raises the bar and shows that the Tees Valley is far from being a one-trick pony."