WHITBREAD, the hotel, restaurant and leisure group, is creating 50 new jobs in Kent.

The company is pumping nearly £1.5 million into a new Brewers Fayre outlet in Broadstairs that will create 50 jobs.

It is part of a £2.3m investment in the county that also includes a facelift for the Costa Coffee outlet in Tunbridge Wells.

The Kent investment is part of a £21m investment in the south east, creating more than 300 new jobs over the next six months.

Paul Cowling, who has replaced Kent-based Robert Clewley as Whitbread's regional director for the South East, said the planned investment underlined Whitbread's commitment to creating job opportunities in the south east.

He added: "Our strategy remains focused on building dominant brands like Travel Inn, David Lloyd Leisure and Costa, that satisfy the needs of our customers, reward our people and deliver value to our shareholders."

Whitbread has 51 Travel Inns, 10 Marriott hotels, 14 David Lloyd Leisure clubs and more than 250 restaurants in the region.