ABOUT 350 jobs will be created when a supermarket opens in Newton Aycliffe later this year.

Tesco is to start recruiting staff for its store on the town's former Avenue Comprehensive School site.

It will be the centrepiece of a £25m development aimed at transforming shopping in the town.

Work on the store is progressing quickly and it is expected to be open in November.

Tesco will be holding three open days, on August 15, 16 and 17, to explain what jobs will be available.

A company spokesman said: "People will be able to come along, listen to what Tesco is all about and the type of jobs we'll have on offer.

"If they wish, they can take away an application form, fill it in and, hopefully, come back for an interview.

"As we haven't got another local store, most of these jobs will be completely new.

"The management team will come from different stores in the area, but I would expect 330 of these jobs to be pretty much local people."

For more information on the open days, at the IES Centre in Horndale Avenue, Aycliffe Industrial Park, please call (01325) 318618.