A NEW hotel on the A1 has started a recruitment drive to find 30 staff.

The £4.5m Sleep Inn, situated at Newton Park Services, near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is the first of a nationwide chain planned by Aston Hotels.

The group, headed by Paresh Kotecha, plans to open another eight hotels, creating more than 200 jobs.

Mr Kotecha was responsible for the successful development of the Slaley Hall hotel in Northumberland.

The first three staff have already joined the Sleep Inn, which is due to open on June 23.

They are assistant managers Richard Summerfield and Barry Cooper and head chef William Johnston.

They join Aston operations director John Deighan, who will be managing the hotel for the first three months of operation.

Mr Deighan joined Aston Hotels from The Swallow Hotel Group. He said: "It is very exciting to be on board at a time when the hotel is still under construction. We are due to open on June 23 and in that time we have to recruit and train an entire staff."

Recruitment is now under way for more than 30 full and part-time staff, incorporating positions in the restaurant, hotel reception, and housekeeping staff.

The completed three-storey hotel will feature 84 soundproofed bedrooms with video conferencing, email and other communications facilities.

Sedgefield council has welcomed the development as a gateway to the borough which will provide an incentive to regenerate the area.

The area is home to a McDonald's restaurant, a petrol station and an unused coach park. The development will include a 107-space car park, and has been earmarked to provide a full set of services for the motorist