Wetherspoon in £20m expansion

The pub chain JD Wetherspoon is creating 650 jobs in a £20m expansion involving 14 new pubs. The additional outlets, which are due to open in the next month, will take the chain to 822 pubs.

Wetherspoon's chairman Tim Martin said: "The company continues to go from strength to strength and the opening of 14 new pubs in one month highlights this perfectly." In order of opening, the new pubs are at Swansea, Luton, Nottingham, East Didsbury, Bromley, Weston-super-Mare, Leighton Buzzard, Holywell, Newbury, Whitstable, Farnborough, Accrington, Todmorden and Wellington.