ATOTAL of 250 new jobs are being dialled up in South Wales and many of them will be "answered" by Gwent jobseekers.

118UK, one of the world's fastest growing providers of directory enquiry information services, is to create 250 jobs in South Wales.

118UK is owned by Dublin-based Conduit plc and Sonera Corpor-ation of Finland. The Cardiff-based company will increase its workforce from 400 to 650 in the next few weeks to meet the requirements of new business and in readiness for the deregulation of the UK's 192 directory enquiry market.

The new contact centre jobs will be at 118UK's headquarters building in Hodge House, Guildhall Place, Cardiff, which opened in January of this year.

Gary Purcell, managing director of 118UK, said: "We are delighted to be able to announce a new major expansion in the business and in the size of the workforce.

"We have been very impressed with the quality of contact centre staff recruited to date. Our headquarters building in the centre of Cardiff means that staff have easy access to the offices and we have invested heavily in both training and the quality of the surroundings at 118UK."

118UK (website www.118UK.co.uk) was introduced to the South Wales area by the Welsh Develop-ment Agency and was the latest in a long line of contact centre employers to locate in South Wales, to take advantage of a skilled workforce and available premises.

The business is described as the new face of directory enquires and information services in the UK.

As Hodge House is just yards from the Cardiff's main bus and railway stations there will be opportunities for commuting Gwent jobseekers.