BARRHEAD Travel is to expand into the north east of England.

The firm is opening its first branded store in Newcastle with 20 jobs offered.

The flagship store will be located in the intu Eldon Square Shopping Centre, which has an an annual footfall of around 37 million customers every year.

The outlet will have a foreign exchange bureau, an international flight centre and a bespoke travel service.

Travel specialists will offer a wide range of holidays and cruises from all major tour operators and cruise lines.

The new store is part of the company’s ambitious plans for expansion across the UK, which were unveiled at the start of the year.

Sharon Munro, chief executive of Barrhead Travel, said: “As we grow and develop as a business, it’s vital for us to invest in job creation and in developing our reach in England.

“We have a strong network of stores across the UK and we believe that the north east is an area that will help us build on our success.

“We’ve had a very positive first half of 2015 and we’re certain that unveiling a store in Newcastle will strengthen our portfolio. The level of investment and the number of jobs we are creating demonstrates that we are continuing to grow the business and strengthen our team.”

Phil Steele, general manager at intu Eldon Square said: “We’re delighted to welcome Barrhead Travel as an exciting new retailer at intu Eldon Square. Barrhead is a leading independent travel company with a 40-year track record and an array of awards to its name."