A TOP Hampshire visitor attraction is seeking to fill 100 jobs ready for the start of the 2016 season.

Management at Paultons Park in Ower say they have vacancies for catering assistants, ride operators, retail assistants, security guards and front-of-house guest-welcoming advisors.

These jobs are in addition to the 200 seasonal staff the park normally recruits.

With 10 per cent of its workforce currently over 50, the theme park is encouraging further candidates within this age category to apply alongside people of all other ages.

Stephen Lorton, commercial director at Paultons Park, said: “As a theme park, it’s a common misconception that the employment we offer is more suitable for a younger audience.

"This certainly is not the case and many of our team over 50 have been with us for numerous years. We are always looking for vibrant people of any age who can help us to deliver a first-class experience to our park visitors.”

He added that it was an exciting time to work at Paultons with the opening this year of a new attraction, the Lost Kingdom – a Jurassic world packed with life-like animatronic dinosaurs, a pre-historic-themed play park and two rollercoasters.

Set within 140 acres, Paultons Park features more than 60 rides and attractions including the world’s first Peppa Pig World and attracts around one million visitors per year.

In recent years, Paultons has been voted as the number one UK theme park for families by readers of Netmums, Which?, Mumsnet and by reviewers on Trip Advisor.

According to figures released last week by the Office of National Statistics, leisure is the fastest growing employment sector with the number of jobs increasing by 21 per cent in the Southampton area last year.