HEROtsc opens its new call centre in Derby

HEROtsc said it had been overwhelmed by the response to its recruitment drive for its Derby operations

One of the UK's largest call centre firms has opened in Derby with the hope of bringing up to 1,400 jobs over the next 18 months.

The operations centre for HEROtsc has opened at Pride Park, formerly run by the financial firm Egg.

A HEROtsc spokesman said it had been "overwhelmed" by the response to its recruitment drive held just before Christmas.

The site will operate part of Sky's customer service centre.

The recruitment drive to hire staff from Derby and surrounding areas attracted about 2,500 applications.

"The quality of applications has been very good, very encouraging", said a company spokesman.

"We've had a cross-section of people apply both within the industry or those wanting a career change."

About 700 new jobs would be created by the end of May.

HEROtsc was formed after Telecom Service Centres (TSC), which was set up in the 1990s in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, west of Glasgow, became part of the Indian-based multinational Hero Group three years ago.

The firm already employs more than 4,000 staff at eight call centres in the UK - mostly in Scotland.