A HOLIDAY park firm with several sites in the North-East and North Yorkshire has employed an extra 1,500 staff to cope with a boom in UK ‘staycations’.

The recruitment drive means that Parkdean Resorts now employs a record number of just under 8,000 staff across all its parks.

The firm, which has its head office in Newcastle, runs several popular resorts in the region, including Crimdon Dene near Hartlepool, Cayton Bay near Scarborough and Sandy Bay in Ashington.

More than 350 of Parkdean’s additional jobs have been secured at North-East sites and include positions in accommodation, food and drink, and security.

It is preparing to reopen its sites on July 6 and is anticipating an exceptionally busy season due to the coronavirus pandemic meaning more people are planning to holiday in the UK instead of abroad.

Steve Richards, chief executive of Parkdean Resorts, said: “We are ready and waiting to warmly welcome holidaymakers who want to enjoy a well-deserved break whilst seeking fresh air, open spaces and safe, beautiful locations.

“Our team has worked hard to ensure that whilst social distancing and health and safety measures are adhered to, our holidaymakers’ experience will be the best yet.”

Parkdean Resorts has given generously throughout the lockdown to food banks local to its holiday sites.

The company also provided accommodation to NHS workers across the UK in a number of its parks.

In anticipation of reopening, it has implemented a number of measures at its sites to ensure that holidaymakers can observe social distancing and stay safe.

These include drive-thru check-ins, one-way systems, and clear social distancing markers.

Each caravan will be deep cleaned between every new customer visit and hand sanitiser will be available throughout the park.

There will also be restricted access to communal facilities by limiting capacity in order to meet the Government’s ‘one metre plus’ social distance requirements.

Parkdean will also be opening facilities such as convenience shops, allowing people to stay on park without accessing local shops.

Earlier this year, Parkdean Resorts announced its largest ever investment in its parks estate.

It committed £80m towards buildings, facilities, maintenance, health and safety, and environmental areas across its sites.