A SUPERMARKET says it will create nearly 50 jobs in a distribution centre shake-up.

Tesco is making its Teesport base, near Middlesbrough, its main UK hub.

Bosses say the move will deliver 46 posts, taking the site’s workforce to around 450.

The Teesport centre, which Tesco says oversees general merchandise, picks individual store orders that are then transported to other bases for delivery to stores.

The changes, which are expected to be confirmed by June, are part of an overhaul of Tesco’s distribution network, which will see 1,000 jobs shed nationally and a site closed in Chesterfield.

The supermarket is also pulling out of shared sites run by third parties, such as DHL and delivery management firm Wincanton, and moving grocery operations from its Welham Green site, in Hertfordshire, to a base in Reading.

However, Matt Davies, chief executive of Tesco UK and Republic of Ireland, said Teesport will remain intrinsic to its future plans.

He said: “As the needs of our customers change, it’s vital we transform our business.

“As part of this we are proposing to close two of our distribution centres in the UK.

“These changes will help to simplify distribution operations so we can continue to serve customers better.

“Our priority throughout has been our colleagues and we will continue to do all we can to support them at this time.”

Tesco is due to publish its third quarter results and Christmas trading update tomorrow, with experts tipping the company to unveil relatively strong results.

According to one analyst, the group will report a fourth consecutive quarter of rising sales, with like-for-like growth of up to 1.75 per cent in the three months to the end of November.

However, investors will be alert to any detail on the overall financial impact of October’s cyber-attack on Tesco Bank, when hackers stole £2.5m from the current accounts of 9,000 customers.

Teesport, operated by PD Ports, is known for helping supermarkets get their goods on shelves with haste.

As well as Tesco, it has experience of supporting Asda, with the latter using the Clipper warehouse, in Wynyard Park, near Billingham, to move products, including the George clothing range.