A CARPET retailer is to build a £500,000 flagship store in the region as part of an expansion that will create 100 jobs.

Storey Carpets, based in Washington, Wearside, will create its first megastore on a 21,000sq ft site outside Newcastle.

The unit will house all three Storey brands - Storey Carpets, Walter Wall Carpets and Woodland Floors.

It is part of a £2m expansion that will see four stores opened in the region and another 12 across the UK.

The first will open in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, later this month, following the success of its other outlets in York and Rotherham.

Chief executive Simon Heptinstall said: "The rate of growth is ambitious, but we are looking at this off the back of a tremendously successful year.

"We know there is so much potential for growth for all three of the Storey's brands.

"The North-East, North-West and Yorkshire continue to be key target areas for our ongoing growth.

"Today's home owners are more interested in interior design than ever before, and our fresh and stylish approach to carpet retailing, coupled with our caring customer service uniquely meets their demands."

The company, which is Britain's biggest independent flooring group, said that sales jumped by 20.4 per cent in the first ten months of last year, with like-for-like sales up 11.2 per cent.