FIVE hundred jobs across the North West will be created in the next year as a direct result of the massive £280 billion deal won by American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

Employees at BAE Systems in in Salmesbury and Warton will be involved in the system design and development stage of the joint fighter programme, which is part of Britain's biggest ever military contract.

The extra engineering jobs will be spread across the area and bosses could not say how many would be based at Salmesbury.

The news comes after 200 redunancies were made there earlier this year.

Managing director Stephen Henwood, group managing director, said: "Those 500 new positions are not going to be filled

Employees at Samlesbury and Warton will be involved in the system design and development stage of the joint strike fighter programme to build 3,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.

Samlesbury will produce the rear fuselage.

The deal secures 2,000 jobs directly and a further 3,500 in support industries across the country.

The firm, which already has the jump-jet expertise needed for the contract, is recruiting extra engineers after winning the deal, against strong competition from American giants Boeing.

Shareholder Ron Armour, who worked at BAE for 36 years before retirement, said: "It is brilliant news. We knew that we were going to win it. My son Edward, who works at Warton, is also really pleased."

Ian Booth from the mechanic shop, said: "We have been a bit concerned over the last few weeks, because we didn't know if we were going to get it or not. We should start getting the work in next year."

Roy Booth, Ian's brother, also from the mechanic shop, said: "It gives more security and more chance for progression."

Jimmy O'Connell, who works on the Typhoon Euro Fighter, and has worked for BAE for more than 20 years, said: "It is good news and hopefully it will create some jobs as well. It will give us all some stability. "We have had a lot of redundancies lately, and this can only be good news for us.

"For us at the younger end, it is providing work for the next 20 to 25 years."

Adam Malji, who works in the maintenance department, said: "There was strong feeling that we would get the contract. It is a good thing for everybody..

"We were all a little worried about whether there would be any more redundancies coming up.

Manher Taylor, also from the maintenance department, said: "There have been a lot of redundancies here over the last two years, so there was a worry there might be more. We were all hopeful we would win the contract."