Up to 300 new jobs will be created when a hi-tech company moves to Shoebury.

Sala International has bought up the former Amstrad warehouse as part of a multi-million pound expansion plan.

The announcement is a tremendous employment boost for the town and one of the biggest deals struck by an estate agent in Southend.

Sala specialises in financial and data storage for national companies including Royal Sun Alliance and NatWest bank.

Staff are developing a pioneering storage vault system where any computer owner can send in personal documents and later retrieve them via their terminal.

Managing director Trevor Bassett today hailed the company's investment as a major boost for Southend and Shoebury.

He said: "We are thrilled to announce these plans - there are many offshoots of us expanding in the town. We will be taking on between 200 and 300 members of staff, but we also plan to use many local services and supplies.

"The company is currently based on Temple Farm Industrial Estate in Southend and it is likely that we will retain a number of the seven units in our possession."

The old Amstrad complex boasts almost 250,000 square feet of warehousing, formerly used to build computers.

Sala is due to move into its new HQ later this summer.

Anyone interested in jobs at Sala International should call Southend Job Centre on 01702 575700.

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