IMPROVING store group Marks & Spencer is creating jobs across Kent and Medway.

After announcing the fourth quarterly sales rise in a row, the retailer said that 800 new customer assistants will be recruited across the south east over the next few weeks.

Nationally, M&S is to take on an extra 4,000 staff.

A spokeswoman said the new full- and part-time jobs would be created at most stores across the county but was unable to say how many or where they would be.

The store group said that all new recruits would be "fully trained and receive a good salary and benefits package".

Anthony Thompson, the company’s retail director, said stores were getting busier, with an extra 350,000 customer visits a week.

The company also planned to open 40 new stores this year.

"We now need more people who are friendly, helpful and enthusiastic and who thrive under pressure to ensure we deliver consistently great service to our customers," he said.

Sales at M&S went up 8.2 per cent in the 13 weeks to July 1. Food sales rose by nearly six per cent, while general merchandise sales went up by 10.5 per cent.