Amazon has announced it will create 2,000 jobs when it opens a new base in the North East of England.

The online giant is spending £450 million on its latest fulfilment centre in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, due to open in October.

The 464,000 sq ft site has been built at Wynyard Park and recruitment has started for a range of roles, including engineers, HR and IT professionals, health and safety managers, finance specialists and teams who will pick, pack and ship orders.

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The building covers three floors and features the company’s specialised robot technology.

Alex Cunningham, Labour MP for Stockton North, welcomed the investment and said: “I was impressed by the modern state-of-the-art robotics building which I visited earlier this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing the site fully open and operational this autumn, creating 2,000 new permanent local jobs and adding to Amazon’s already significant investment in the North East.”

Marianna Desai, Amazon’s regional director, said: “I look forward to recruiting talented individuals in a diverse range of roles, from engineers and IT professionals through to the teams who will handle customer orders.”