MORE than half of 500 jobs which were created at a sports retailer's warehouse have been filled.
The Post revealed last month that Sports Direct had given the North Notts area a huge boost by creating the roles in Shirebrook.
Now fewer than 200 of the jobs are left after a huge amount of interest.
A spokesman for the firm said: "More than 300 of the jobs have been filled and we are still receiving more interest so they could all be filled very soon.
"We are seeing candidates every day."
"We have had a big response to these new jobs.
"The level of interest has been better than expected.
The 500 new staff are to join the 3,000-strong workforce already employed at the plant.
The firm says it needs more staff to cope with growing demand because of rising interest in sport caused by the hugely-successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.
The staff are being employed on a month-by-month basis, but the company is confident it will be long-term work.
They are working as pickers, helping out in the distribution side of the business as well as its growing web department.
Recruitment firm Blue Arrow is overseeing the process of bringing in new staff.
Jo Fox, from Blue Arrow, said: "There has been a fantastic response to this.
"We are doing inductions every day right now.
"This has had a really positive impact on Sports Direct.
"It is great that they are investing in new jobs like this and we are very encouraged with the response we have seen so far."
The jobs boost has come at a time when there are high levels of unemployment in the Mansfield area.
Nearly one in 20 people in the Mansfield district are unemployed, with some wards having rates as high as nearly one in ten.
More than seven per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds in the district are jobless.
Sports Direct bosses predict further jobs could be created in the future as demand continues to increase.