PUBS chain JD Wetherspoon said it was creating 650 jobs in a £20m expansion involving 14 new pubs.

The additional outlets, which are due to open in the next month, will take the chain’s estate to 822 pubs.

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: “The company continues to go from strength to strength and the opening of 14 new pubs in one month highlights this perfectly.”

The new pubs include ones in Todmorden, Swansea, Luton and Nottingham.

Wetherspoon, which was formed in 1979, opened its 800th outlet in April.