INDIA is not having it all its own way as 40 telephone jobs are rung up in Sittingbourne.

Go Response, a call centre operator, is moving from South London to set up a new business in Sittingbourne Research Centre.

The move is a success for Locate in Kent, the agency that promotes the county as a great place to do business, and notches up its 40th inward investment of the year, its target for 2003-4.

It also underlines that despite the switch of thousands of call centre jobs to India, Kent and Medway are still proving a powerful magnet for call centre operators. LiK has attracted 15 to the county, creating an estimated 2,769 jobs since 1997.

Paul Wookey, LiK chief executive, said: "The latest research by Locate in Kent estimates that call centres now employ more than 8,000 people in Kent and Medway.

"The arrival of Go Response demonstrates that Kent offers a cost-effective and excellent location for call centre operators in terms of premises and access to a skilled and trained workforce. "

Go Response worked closely with LiK chiefs after first making contact at Call Centre Expo, the UK's largest call centre exhibition held annually at the NEC in Birmingham.

LiK helped the company to find a suitable site and, through contacts with local recruitment agents, staff with the necessary skills.

Mark Kirby, managing director of Go Response, said: "I am confident that moving from South London has not only improved my quality of life, it has also given me access to a loyal and local workforce which will enable us to achieve our ambitious plans for the business."

Go Response offers a wide range of round-the-clock telephone services for businesses, including call handling, virtual receptionists, sales order and customer service lines.