NEW jobs will be created as 24-hour shopping is introduced at Asda stores in Colne and Accrington on September 4.

Other stores in Burnley and Blackburn may follow suit.

Alan Short, manager at Colne, said: "It's amazing the convenience it gives to people, particular those on shift work. It will create an initial 12 to 20 new jobs at Colne and as time goes on it it will create more.

"We expect to find people will spread their shopping out, either coming to the store earlier or shopping later into the night. We've said to the staff already here, 'We're going to open 24 hours, who wants to work it?' Where people don't want to work it we've made up the numbers by recruiting from outside."

Malcolm Blake, store manager at Accrington, said there were no immediate plans to take on extra staff. "Hopefully things will build up and we hope to be able to take on more staff when it does," he said. "To begin with we will man the store from existing staff on a voluntary basis."

The move follows successful trials of round-the-clock shopping over recent Christmases.

The stores will open from Monday mornings until 8pm on Saturdays. Sunday trading laws mean opening hours on that day will remain 10am to 4pm.