To date, the hotel has taken on 21 people who were previously in receipt of benefits.

The recent opening of Premier Inn in Honiton wiped seven per cent from East Devon’s out-of-work figures, the Herald can reveal.

The 66-bed hotel opened on Turks Head Lane on January 30 this year, with the cost of the build totalling £5million.

Dozens of enquiries were made to Job Centre Plus in Honiton last summer, so it created an office caseload to store the names of those interested.

After Job Centre Plus staff met with Premier Inn bosses last October, it was agreed a sector-based work academy would be set up – enabling suitable applicants to see first-hand what their duties and responsibilities would entail, should their applications be successful.

A spokesman for Honiton Job Centre Plus said: “This academy was hugely successful and the calibre of our applicants really impressed Premier Inn.

“In total, 12 people who attended the academy started their journey back to work, which really shows how successful this process can be.”

To date, Honiton Premier Inn has taken on 21 people who were previously in receipt of benefits.

The spokesman added: “This represents a huge number of starts for a small office with Job Seekers Allowance register of around 310 at the time.”

Colin Wright, president of Honiton and District Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am very pleased that Premier Inn has taken on 21 new staff, which reduced the unemployment figures for East Devon.

“This is very good news for the East Devon area and we trust that the new hotel will bring trade not only to Honiton itself, but to East Devon as a whole.”

For more information about Job Centre Plus in Honiton, pop into the office (128 High Street).