DEPARTMENT store Debenhams has sparked a jobs rush at its new Westwood Cross branch in Thanet.

More than 1,500 people have applied for the 300 positions available, but managers say there are still a large number of vacancies to be filled.

Jobs are available in concessions such as Principles, Oasis, Morgan and Coast, and with the 10 cosmetics houses that will be based in the store.

There will also be a 130-seater restaurant, providing jobs for catering staff. Manager Peter Moore said he is delighted with the calibre of the applicants, and the amount of interest.

Mr Moore said: “We are really pleased with the numbers of people wanting work here, and the experience and quality of many of the applicants is of a very high calibre, which is encouraging.”

Interviews have already begun and will continue for the next three weeks. There are still positions to be filled, and anyone interested is asked to tekephone 08445 616162.

Interviews have already been held for one of the complex’s other large stores, Next, with Marks and Spencer holding theirs this week. Among the big names soon to start recruiting are TopShop, Costa Coffee, H & M and JJB Sports.

The majority of the stores will be new to Thanet, a sure sign the island’s future is looking bright. In total, about 1,500 jobs will be created at the new centre, in addition to the 200 people employed to build it.

The majority of those people will be from Thanet. According to figures released in January, there are are currently about 4,300 unemployed on the island.

The complex opens in June, and Mr Moore said he is excited to be involved with such a large project. He said: “I am particularly looking forward to starting it all from scratch, being responsible for things from the very beginning, in a brand new store with new staff.

“It’s also exciting because this is the first department store in Thanet since the 1970s, when Bobby’s closed.

“People will be able to get a huge range of branded items they usually have to travel out of the area to buy, because they are not available anywhere else in Thanet, and it’s going to be a great boost for the economy locally.”

The 85,000 sq ft shop is being billed as a key destination at the complex. Mr Moore said: “At the moment it’s just a shell, but the first sign went up at the weekend and it is starting to come together.”

Mr Moore has been manager of the Canterbury branch of Debenhams for four years. He is expecting the new store to prove just as popular as that branch, but says it has two distinct advantages - the fact it is all on one site, and that there are around 1,000 parking spaces outside and a further 4,000 nearby.

The store will open from Monday to Friday between 9am and 8pm, 9am to 7pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. Westwood Cross officially opens on Thursday, June 9.