NEW jobs are being created as furniture chain Harveys returns to Carlisle, more than two years after its store was destroyed by fire.

The national chain has rebuilt its Crown Street showroom following the arson attack, which reduced it to rubble, in November 2013.

It has now confirmed it will reopen the Harveys and Bensons for Beds store in March, initially creating eight jobs.

A spokesman said: “We are looking forward to reopening our Carlisle store on March 18, 2016, and are pleased to confirm that we will be recruiting for a number of positions.

“We have a store manager and assistant manager vacancy and three sales consultants vacancies in Harvey’s and the same in Bensons for Beds.”

Carlisle City Council leader Colin Glover said the re-launch was good news for the wider economy.

“It’s really positive that Harveys are committed to the city,” he added.

“When they lost the store it would have been easy not to rebuild but this shows real confidence in Carlisle.

“The fact that it brings jobs is also welcome and it all helps with the wider regeneration of that end of the city.”

The high profile blaze saw fire rip through the 16,000sq ft store, off Botchergate, in the early hours of November 23.

It was so intense, reaching temperatures of up to 700C, that the steel structure of the building was destroyed.

Thirty firefighters with specialist equipment battled for hours to stop it.

It is believed the blaze started when arsonists set fire to two industrial wheelie bins, filled with cardboard, at the back of the premises.

It then spread through foam insulation in metal wall and ceiling panels.

Police launched an arson investigation but nobody was ever prosecuted.

At the time the company would not say whether it planned to rebuild or relocate following the fire.

Planning permission was granted in 2014 to rebuild the store as it was, but it wasn't until last year that work finally began on the site.