THE do-it-yourself retailer B & Q is to open a new store in Tunbridge Wells creating about 250 jobs.

The store, in Longfield Road, is due to open next March. Recruitment will begin in the near future. Nygel Scourfield, the B&Q divisional controller for the area, said: "The DIY market has changed tremendously in the past five years.

"We've seen a change from DIY to home improvement, the growth of BIY, or buy it yourself, the growth of services such as installation and wider ranges of products from entry price level to products you would usually only see at specialist outlets.

"We've evolved our new stores to satisfy these changing customer needs and we will create 4,000 new jobs nationwide in the process over the next year."