Express route to creating jobs in the region.

BAGUETTE Express, the national sandwich chain, is to create more than 500 jobs in the North East, as it opens dozens of new stores in the region.

Azeem Arshad, a local businessman, will take charge of the franchise and open a store in Gateshead's Metro-Centre before opening nearly 50 more in an area which stretches from Alnwick in the north to Middlesbrough and Darlington in the south and Hexham in the west.

Mr Ashad said: "I am delighted to be associated with a business as successful as Baguette Express. The North-East will be a very productive region and will enhance the expansion strategy which has made Baguette Express a valued brand across the UK." Baguette Express was established in a single shop in 1999 and Scottish entrepreneurs Robin and Billy Stenhouse took the helm in 2004 to provide an alternative approach to the world of healthy snacking.

Robin Stenhouse said: "This is a major step forward for the group as it grows into its role as a significant player in the quality food provision sector. But it is also a wonderful opportunity to create high quality jobs in areas which have been hit hard by the economic downturn. Our outlets provide career chances across a number of disciplines, from management to catering and logistics, and they also tap into the entrepreneurial spirit in the areas we cover by giving people the chance to run their own businesses."