BRITAIN'S biggest DIY retailer B&Q, is to create at least 4,000 jobs during 2001, the company said.

The retailer, owned by Woolworth-to-Comet retailer Kingfisher, said it planned to open 25 of its large, 100,000 square foot B&Q Warehouse stores during the year.

Each store employs around 250 people, and some staff will be transferred from existing stores, said B&Q.

B&Q currently has 57 warehouse stores and aims to increase this number to 125 by 2004.

Last week it snapped up 28 non-trading former Homebase sites from Sainsbury's as part of that retailer's £969m deal to sell the chain.

The jobs being created will range from management positions to customer advisers and will be both full and part-time positions.

Sites already earmarked to open as Warehouse stores during the year include Bolton, Greater Manchester and Preston in Lancashire, Ashford in Kent and Hengrove in Bristol.

Among the Homebase sites, Filton in Bristol will open next year along with stores in Chelmsford, Essex and Rotherham, south Yorkshire in the first half of the year.

Full details of locations will be announced later next year.

Dan Bernard, B&Q stores director, said: "The big format B&Q Warehouses are becoming an increasingly important part of the business.

"The warehouse businesses now contribute more than 40 per cent of total B&Q sales.

"Over two-thirds of the 57 B&Q Warehouses achieve annualised sales in excess of £20m.

"Around six of them achieve sales in excess of £30m."

B&Q has a 23 per cent share of the DIY market.

It is followed by Focus Do It All on 15 per cent - when its acquisitions of Wickes and Great Mills are included - and Homebase on about 12 per cent.