MORE THAN 1000 temporary jobs will be created at online retailer Amazon's delivery centre in Dunfermline to cope with the Christmas rush.

Recruitment for the posts is already under way and those interested in applying for a temporary role can visit www.amazon-operations.co.uk.

Workers will be recruited on temporary contracts to support the seasonal surge in demand in the run-up to the festive season.

However, as Amazon continues to grow many workers taken on initially on a temporary basis have found permanent positions with the company.

"On our busiest shopping day last Christmas, we saw customers order a total of three million items during one 24-hour period at a rate of 35 items every second," said Catherine McDermott, director of operations at Amazon.co.uk Ltd.

"We look forward to welcoming a good number of new faces to both the Dunfermline and Gourock centres over the coming weeks as well as welcoming back temporary employees who join us every year over the Christmas period.

"We are a company in growth and when we have permanent positions to fill, it's the top-performing temporary employees that we look to." In the last three years, thousands of UK employees initially on temporary contracts have moved into permanent roles.

At the Christmas 2011 peak, Amazon's UK fulfilment centres shipped more than 2.1 million units in one 24-hour period - a total of 1124 tonnes of goods - which meant a delivery truck left a fulfilment centre once every two minutes and 45 seconds.

The Dunfermline distribution centre was officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond in November 2011 and has created 950 jobs.