A national toy shop is recruiting staff for a new store in Carlisle city centre.

Following Primark's lead, Toys R Us is understood to be eyeing up the former Poundland store in The Lanes Shopping Centre.

Although the toy store has not yet signed a lease, it has started recruiting both full and part time positions.

A spokesperson from the company said: "Toys R Us are coming to The Lanes Shopping Centre in Carlisle and we have a range of fantastic opportunities for candidates to join the new store team.

"A range of shifts are available, however all applicants must be fully available 15th to 29th August 2016 for the pre-opening period.

"As this store is temporary until after Christmas, all positions will be on a casual basis."

Toys R Us previously opened a pre-Christmas temporary store on the St Nicholas Retail Park, off London Road, in October 2011.

Trading was initially so successful that the company announced the store would stay, only to shut in January 2013.

Whether Toys R Us are employing similar scouting techniques this time round and a more permanent store could follow the pop-up is not yet known.

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However, the move has been greeted with enthusiasm by Carlisle City Council leader, Colin Glover.

"I think all we can really say at the moment is it's a positive move for the city centre," he said.

"It's really good news for the city. It's another national name that has been attracted to Carlisle.

"The fact that Toys R Us have got their eye on Carlisle shows that Carlisle is a place where people want to be."

He said when Toys R Us left in 2013, the council said they would always be welcome back. He now wants to see more nationals coming to Carlisle like Zara and Jack Wills, which had a pop-up store in The Lanes recently.

He said: "Primark do attract other retailers that like to be around them because they increase footfall."

"The very fact that we're getting these big names just shows we must be doing something right."

David Jackson, commercial director of The Lanes, said: "Toys R Us are in the early stages of looking to recruit so we're hopeful it will go through."