AMAZON DOUBLES STAFF AT LONDON HQ

AMAZON is ramping up its presence in the UK in a major vote of confidence in Brexit Britain.

The online retailer yesterday pledged to double the number of research staff at its new headquarters in London.

Amazon UK chief Doug Gurr said: ‘ We are continuing to invest. That is obviously supporting the UK as an important consumer market for us but also as a fantastic place to find global talent.’

Amazon will occupy all 15 floors of the HQ in Shoreditch, East London, giving it space for 5,000 staff. It said the research centre at the site would be home to 900 staff – twice as many as previously planned.

They will focus on developing the Amazon Prime video platform, the home of series such as The Grand Tour, Mr Robot and The Man In The High Castle.

City lobbyists are urging the Government to ease visa restrictions for entrepreneurs and provide more funding for start-ups after Britain leaves the EU. They say the cash boost may be needed if the European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund pull their support for British firms.

Tech City UK chief Gerard Grech told the Daily Mail: ‘The country has taken a huge risk with Brexit but you have to seize that – the tech community is very good at adapting to risk and rising to a challenge.’

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the Amazon investment ‘shows that our great city is the tech capital of Europe’.