A Glasgow shopping centre is to be expanded by 45,000 sq ft, adding an eight-screen cinema and five restaurants.

The £9m revamp at the Fort shopping centre near Easterhouse will start next week, creating up to 250 construction jobs.

And when the extended centre opens next summer, it is expected to create up to 200 new jobs.

Centre manager Phil Goodman said: "We are absolutely delighted that the leisure development will soon be underway and we can look forward to an important and major extension to the park's offering by next summer.

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"Glasgow Fort shopping park, as well as a wide range of retail outlets, already has a number of restaurants and cafes which are very popular.

"By adding a cinema and more big restaurant names to the mix, the park will have even more to offer to our customers."

The Fort opened in 2004 and currently employs about 2,000 people across some 90 retailers.

About two thirds of employees come from the local area, which had traditionally been an area of high unemployment in Glasgow's east end.

Calum Graham of the Glasgow regeneration Agency said: "This announcement of a new cinema and leisure facilities at Glasgow Fort is excellent news for residents, who are facing major challenges in accessing the labour market.

"GRA is delighted to be working with Glasgow Fort to offer fantastic employment and training opportunities at the new development to so many people."

(NE)