AROUND 100 insurance jobs are being created in Thanet over the next few months.

The decision by Saga, the over-50s holiday and financial services company, to underwrite its motor insurance policies is good news for Broadstairs.

Insurance claims from Saga customers will now be handled in the town by Saga staff and specialists at Town and Country Assistance.

Town and Country is based at Saga’s operations centre in Pysons Road Industrial Estate, Broadstairs.

Broadstairs Chamber of Commerce president Roger Underdown welcomed the move. He said: “Any business that comes to the area and creates jobs has got to be positive.

“We are all looking for a better employment and better pay to help bring up the levels in the area, which lets face it, aren’t that good.

“As a chamber we have not come across Saga that much but they have invested a lot into the area and we welcome them to the isle.”

The company has launched a recruitment drive to find claims handlers and customer executives.

It is looking for people with at least Advanced Level or NVQ qualifications and some work experience.

The new jobs will be added to the 200 or so already created by Saga in Thanet at its call centre on Eurokent Business Park.

Saga expects the new operations centre to be handling more than 100,000 motor claims from Saga customers by the end of the year.

Ian Arundel, from Broadstairs, is customer services director in charge of Town and Country's local operations.

He said: "This is a very exciting venture that brings new skills and opportunities to Thanet.

"We have already recruited an initial 25 staff locally to work in this high-tech operations centre. As the number of claims we handle on behalf of Saga grows, so shall we be recruiting more people.

"We anticipate that this will involve up to 25 people in February-March, a further 25 in the summer, and then 25 in the autumn.

“The number is entirely dependent on the volume of Saga claims. If this is higher than we anticipate at present, then we could be recruiting even more people locally.”

Town and Country was set up in 1988 and has seen a fourfold increase in turnover in the past five years, making it one of Britain’s fastest-growing enterprises.

Its headquarters is in Ipswich and the company handles 120,000 motor claims a year on behalf of large insurance firms, insurance brokers, and commercial vehicle fleets.

It recently won a major contract from Avis Rent A Car for the accident management and claims recovery of all its UK vehicle rentals.