Tesco will create more than 800 jobs when it opens a distribution centre in Middlesbrough in August.

The £130m Teesport Distribution Centre is the retailer’s first purpose-built import storage facility. It will replace its existing non-food distribution centre in Coventry.

The 910,000 sq ft Teesport centre means that goods can be transported by rail rather than road. It will take more than 12,000 lorry journeys off the road each year.

Tesco UK retail operations director David Potts said: “The benefits of Teesport are twofold and cannot be underestimated in the current climate. This investment is good news for job-seekers and for the environment.

“As well as creating over 800 jobs, it also delivers major environmental benefits through development on brownfield land and, due to its location and on-site rail infrastructure, will significantly reduce the number of lorries on the roads.”