One of the northwest's leading sandwich chains says it wants to create hundreds of new jobs in Greater Manchester over the coming years.

Baguette Express is aiming to fill 750 additional positions over the next five years, Crain's Manchester Business reports.

Craig Houston and Graeme Carson plan on using the franchise to open 50 new outlets in Manchester, 30 of which are expected to open in the near future.

"Greater Manchester is a lively and dynamic part of the UK which is ideally suited to the Baguette Express model of providing high quality, reasonably priced, healthy food in areas where there is a high and consistent footfall," Mr Houston told the website.

Having opened a Baguette Express in the city's Mosley Street, the pair now hopes to expand to Stockport, Wigan, Sale, Bury, Bolton, Rochdale and Ashton-under-Lyne.

The proposed outlets have been carefully planned to be bordered by the Pennines in the east, the M6 in the west, Manchester Airport, Knutsford and Hazelgrove in the south and Bolton, Rochdale and Bury in the north.

Baguette Express owners Robin and Billy Stenhouse began franchising after opening their seventh outlet.