An entrepreneur pledged only to employ people from the local area when he opened his new high-street store.

Former Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis opened a new branch of DIY store Robert Dyas in The Broadwalk, Edgware High Street, yesterday.

He said: “Who said the high street is dead? We have had the deepest recession in history, but profits have still grown.”

The shop will provide 12 to 15 jobs, to be offered only to those in who live in area, though the firm hopes to increase its staff base in future.