The owner of a new bar has been left stunned after failing to find workers in one of the country's worst unemployment blackspots.
Linda Barker was looking for six staff to help run Rocky's in Hartlepool town centre. But she was shocked to find that, in a town with 2,500 unemployed, she was only able to find one person willing to do the job.
Rocky's bar and restaurant was due to open in Church Street last weekend.
Linda was surprised when she put an advert in the Job Centre and only nine people responded.
But then one candidate called to cancel, saying he had found another job, another called to rearrange the interview and six failed to turn up - leaving Linda with just one interviewee. Linda, who had set aside a Sunday to interview the nine, said: "I completely wasted a day.
"We're only looking for about six people to do general part-time bar work paid at the minimum wage and I thought there would be loads of people in Hartlepool just busting for jobs.
"We are aiming to open the bar in December and then the restaurant in January. I have never known anything like this before and normally I am used to people asking for jobs."
Hartlepool has an unemployment rate of around seven per cent - twice the national average. The minimum wage for people aged 18 to 21 is £3.50 an hour and for those aged 22 and over is £4.10 an hour.
Sue Alderson, business manager at Hartlepool Job Centre, said: "We have a system for employer customer service and we have contacted the employer direct to resolve the situation.
"A lot depends on the labour market at the time but the service industry is a growth industry and normally we find that there is plenty of interest."
Linda now hopes to find staff for the bar through further consultation with the Job Centre and by advertising in the local newspaper.