A DISTRIBUTION centre on Tyneside is to create 200 jobs.

Direct Solution International (DSI), on the Viking Industrial Park, Jarrow, plans to treble the size of its operation over the next two years.

The company's core business is print-to-post handling and distribution, which it has carried out since it opened its Northern base in 1995.

Recently, the company has been asked by its customers to provide call centre and data capture services.

Colin Roxburgh, head of the new call centre, said: "Our customers are very pleased with the service provided and we are busy recruiting staff and training them for the business opportunities ahead.

"We set up a small call centre operation to do this last year and it has been a big success."

He said: "We now see this as a growth area and it means we can offer clients a complete package. Our sales team is in place and we have begun recruitment."

The expansion has been welcomed by the new South Tyneside Call Centre Task Group, established by the borough council's economic development team to tackle the shortage of skilled workers and to prepare for a growth in the trade.

Councillor Jim Harper, lead member for regeneration with South Tyneside council, said: "This is excellent news. In the past, such jobs have passed by the borough but now we are equipped to help these sort of businesses flourish and can provide them with a trained workforce."

The Call Centre Task Group is made up of representatives from the council, business support agency Tedco, The Employment Service, South Tyneside College, the Training and Enterprise Network and Tyneside TEC.

They have designed a training package that is helping the unemployed to find jobs in call centre hotspots such as Sunderland and North Tyneside. Now trainees will be channeled into companies within South Tyneside.

Funds have been secured and plans are being implemented to extend the training over a period of two years