The UK's biggest publisher of telephone directories is to create more than 100 jobs at a new telephone sales operation to be set up in Belfast, it was revealed yesterday.

The jobs announcement came a day after US financial giant Citigroup announced it was setting up an IT centre in Belfast, creating 375 jobs.

Yell, which publishes Yellow Pages and provides the Yell.com online directory service, confirmed it was beginning a recruitment drive for sales following a major growth in its advertising.

The company already has an established sales team in Northern Ireland and a spokesman said it was expected the new jobs would be built up over the next two to three years.

The spokesman said a recruitment drive was getting under way immediately - advertisements were appearing in local papers today - seeking people for jobs which were well paid for the sector.

Yell is the biggest supplier of classified directory advertising in the UK, operating four businesses - Yellow Pages, Business Pages, Yell.com and the 118 247 telephone directory service.

Staff recruited to work in Belfast would be dealing with advertising for all four services with customers across the UK.

Citigroup is to establish what it calls "a technology centre of excellence" in Belfast, creating up to 375 jobs.

The financial services group, the world's largest, reckons the investment will contribute some £65 million (€92.6 million) to the local economy over the first five years.

The investment is supported by Invest Northern Ireland which is putting up £7.6 million towards the investment.

(PA - additional reporting, Dan Keenan)