DISCOUNT fashion retail chain Matalan yesterday confirmed the extent of its commitment to expansion in the region.

At least 130 of the 2,200 jobs it has pledged to create in the country this year will come to the North-East.

In a move that will boost sales space by 705,000 sq ft, Matalan is opening 20 new stores - including one in Darlington - and is resiting a further five, including one in Sunderland.

The new North-East outposts are due to open in the autumn.

To keep up with its rivals, the company is hoping to boost its total trading space to eight million square feet by the end of its financial year.

The cut-price clothing chain is to open a store at what was a Morrisons supermarket In Darlington's Neasham Road, which will create more than 100 jobs.

Matalan is planning to invest £1.5m in the store, which it took over from the Morrisons chain last month.

The Morrisons store closed in June, but the firm said all of its 159 employees were relocated to its other stores in the town and beyond.

An expansion of Matalan's Sunderland branch, which has recently moved to Pallion retail park, is well under way.

The company is expanding its 16,000sq ft Wearside site to 47,000sq ft.

Also due to open in October, the new site will see the creation of 30 jobs.

Chief executive Paul Mason, who joined in January from supermarket chain Asda, said: ''We're delighted to be growing our team at Matalan.''

Two months ago the group reported a 30 per cent rise in full-year profits to £107.6m on like-for-like sales growth of 8.3 per cent.