A RECRUITMENT drive to fill hundreds of new jobs in Bicester will start next week.

Supermarket Sainsbury’s has appointed Bicester man Vince Brimble as the manager of the town’s store and from Thursday he will open a recruitment centre to start the process of filling 300 vacancies.

Jobs include full and part-time roles for positions on the shop floor, the warehouse and in the store offices.

The Vue cinema chain will create a further 30 jobs when it opens a seven-screen venue in July and recruitment will start soon.

Earlier this month Sainsbury’s confirmed it would open its supermarket in Bicester after it threatened to down tools after a row over a new Tesco store.

The shop will open as part of Bicester’s £70m town centre redevelopment, alongside a cinema, shops and restaurants.

Mr Brimble has worked for Sainsbury’s for 28 years, including at the firm’s Kidlington and Banbury stores.

He said: “As a Bicester resident for over 20 years, I am delighted to have been appointed as the manager of the new Sainsbury’s store at the heart of the town centre redevelopment.”

The Sainsbury’s recruitment centre will be based in Crown Walk and will be open from 9am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday and will offer advice on vacancies.

The new jobs have been welcomed by town leaders.

Ben Jackson, president of Bicester Chamber of commerce, said: “The creation of employment opportunities is welcome and helps build a stronger more sustainable town centre.”

Cherwell District Council’s leader Barry Wood said: “This is concrete evidence of the economic benefits that town centre redevelopment is bringing to Bicester.”