East Kent's economy was given a major consolation today when Folkestone-based Saga announced 1,000 new jobs.

Today's news comes just six days after the phamaceutical giant Pfizer announced it was leaving the area, axing 2,400 jobs.

The Saga Group announced it planned to recruit up to 1,000 news jobs over the next year by expanding its healthcare business in Folkestone, Hythe and Thanet.

Saga, which specialises in products and service for the over-50s, said the recruitment drive would fill new and existing jobs.

A spokesman for the firm said: "This expansion means that we are going to be looking for skilled people who know about the health sector as well as people who would like to try their hand at working elsewhere in Saga as we continue to expand."

It is the first piece of good news for the East Kent economy since Pfizer announced it was leaving Sandwich at the end of 2012.