FORTY jobs have been created with the opening of a huge bar that can house up to 750 customers on two floors.

The Bar Med, in Harrogate's Royal Baths, represents a £1.5m investment by the owners, the SFI Group, which also owns the Slug and Lettuce, Litten Tree and Fiesta Havana brands.

The development retains and highlights many of the site's original features and is opening tonight with a party extravaganza weekend, featuring cowgirls, roller bladers, fire jugglers and stilt walkers.

The bar is the largest in the chain and is also a new template for the brand, with rooms for private dining, conferences and meetings and the most up-to-date sound and light system.