The next phase of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station will create 1,200 new jobs and 300 apprenticeships, it has been announced.

Energy giant EDF said mechanical, electrical, heating-ventilation and air-conditioning work (MEH) will support firms across Britain.

Staffordshire-based Capula and Exyte Hargreaves from Lancashire are the latest British engineering companies to create new jobs to support the next phase of construction at the Somerset site.

Their 80 new engineering posts are a part of the expected 1,200 new jobs and 300 apprentices to join the 4,000 strong workforce who will fit electrical systems, cables and pipes.

Simon Parsons, programme director of the latest phase, said: “In this next major chapter for our project, the MEH phase will join together hundreds of small and large companies from across Britain.

“Together we are delivering on our promise to build Britain’s industrial capability by creating new jobs and skills. Development of a near-identical power station at Sizewell C will bring further opportunities for our extensive and experienced British supply chain.”

The scheduled date for the first Hinkley unit to be operating is 2025, with the second unit around a year later.

The power station in Somerset, which is costing over £21 billion to build, will supply six million homes.