Sussex is set for a jobs bonanza over the next few years, according to a new report.

The growing use of call centres by major businesses could create as many as 240,000 new positions nationally, according to economic analysts Business Strategies.

They say Brighton and Crawley will be among the biggest winners.

According to their report, the number of workers in the fast-growing sector is expected to increase from the present 423,000 to 665,000 by 2008, with much of the growth likely in the next three years.

Financial services will spearhead the expansion, although leisure, travel and communications firms are also expected to create huge numbers of new jobs, The news has been welcomed by business leaders in Sussex.

Alan Brooks, marketing manager for Sussex Enterprise, said: "Call centres are a very important part of the Sussex economy.

"Brighton and Crawley have been seen as good locations because of the skills of the people available in the labour market."

Peter Burton, district manager for the Employment Service, said any new jobs would be welcomed, particularly in Brighton where there is a higher rate of unemployment than Crawley.

He said: "There are call centre jobs available in Brighton and Crawley now and we would anticipate the centres will continue to expand in direct proportion to call centre jobs nationally.

It's a growth area and Sussex is well situated in terms of accessibility and the necessary I.T. infrastructure thanks to the existing call centre jobs and expertise."

Mr Burton said call centre jobs were particularly attractive to people as they often offer flexible working hours and 24-hour operations allow people to work when it suits them, making them attractive to parents and older people.

American Express currently employs 4,000 people in Sussex and has one of the largest call centres in the region.

Caroline Lombardelli, head of European customer services for Amex, said: "We chose Brighton because although our call centre uses English speakers we have a multilingual back office to process paperwork.

"In Brighton we are able to recruit foreign language speakers, especially those with French, Italian and German."