HUNDREDS of North-East jobs could be created in a European software consultancy firm’s first UK venture.

Infotel UK, a subsidiary of Infotel SA (France), is setting up a base in North Shields, North Tyneside.

Bosses say the office will deliver an initial 50 posts, but revealed hundreds more could follow if the project proves fruitful.

The company says the Orion Business Park site will meet demand from existing and new UK customers, which want support from an organisation, such as Infotel, on British soil.

Mundeep Nayyar, Infotel’s UK managing director, said workers could start next month.

Mr Nayyar, who hails from Newcastle, added it will start slowly to build a lasting base in the region, revealing he was delighted to be putting something back into the North-East economy.

He told The Northern Echo: “There is a lot of potential in what we are doing and it can bring a lot of jobs.

“Looking at the projects we are bidding on, there is a very strong possibility of these numbers.

“But we will be taking it steady and making sure we have strong foundations, and we won’t be doing anything that isn’t sustainable.

“We should be putting people in seats by May and starting work.

“There seems to be a lot happening in the North-East and it is the right time to bring work here.”

Infotel SA has offices across Europe and the US, and works with clients such as energy firm EDF and food company Nestle, which has factories in York and Fawdon, near Newcastle.

Founded in 1979, it employs about 1,700 staff worldwide, and supports customers’ design, development and use of software to deliver unique applications.

Eric Fabretti, director of commercial activity, added: “The North-East is the ideal location to open an office, given the region’s impressive technology sector and skills base.

“We expect to create 50 jobs, and if it goes to plan, this could lead to hundreds of jobs over the next few years.”

Infotel’s announcement represents another lift for the North-East’s employment landscape, after two companies this week revealed plans to create hundreds of posts.

Barclays has announced it will deliver 200 jobs in a new Sunderland-based fraud detection centre, which will help victims of crime.

Car parts firm TRW Automotive, in Peterlee, east Durham, also said it wants 300 more workers by 2018, to meet demand and oversee new products.

The company specialises in safety electronics, such as forward-facing cameras and airbag control units.