NEARLY 100 jobs are set to be created after a major retailer announced it was relocating to Burnley.

The Original Factory Shop is to move its head office and main distribution warehouse to the Orient Business Park, Billington Road.

The £2million plus move will create 40 jobs and it is hoped another 50 workers will be taken on in the next five years.

The firm is moving to Burnley after outgrowing its present smaller base at Steeton, near Keighley.

The new 145,000sq ft warehouse, which includes 15,000sq ft of office space is due to open on Tuesday and serve the whole of the UK.

The new building at Orient Business Park used to be a textile factory before the Original Factory Shop renovated it.

The relocation is part of an overall expansion by the company costing more than £10million.

The Original Factory Shop has 73 outlets across the UK, selling men's, ladies' and children's fashion, homeware and electricals, as well as toileteries, and employs more than 1,000 staff. Last week the company announced an increase in profits of 28per cent in the last year.

The new warehouse in Burnley will allow the firm to open a further 15 stores in the next 12 months, bosses said.

George Foster, chief executive of the Original Factory Shop, said: "This is a great achievement for the company as it sees months of dedication and planning by the team coming to fruition.

"Record growth created a need to find larger premises and after a detailed search of the region, we finally found the ideal property which will become the hub of operations for the company."