MULTI-MILLION pound plans to further expand Newcastle's Tyne corridor are about to create up to 450 jobs.

A £70m project, supported by European funding, was announced yesterday, aimed at creating accommodation for business and boosting a growing creative industry sector.

An area stretching from Walker Riverside to Newburn will be the focus of a number of schemes, partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the National Lottery.

The first scheme which has been approved by the Government Office for the North-East will see three industrial units built on brownfield land at Walker Riverside.

They will be offered to companies in the offshore marine industry, with the intention of supplying components needed by major local companies such as DUCO and Wellstream, which between them make about 80 per cent of the world's undersea cables.

The project also aims to increase the number of arts-based, media and information technology companies which have made their home in the nearby Ouseburn Valley.

Jonathan Blackie, regional director, Government Office North East, said: "The impact of developments such as Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides has been enormous and we see every reason to build on this success.

"The Tyne Corridor will be a natural extension of Newcastle Quays and we are confident that the vibrancy of the areas can spread, bringing in new jobs and creating more opportunities in a number of different industries."