JUST eight of the 5,500 unemployed people in Chelmsford showed up at an event where a local pub was offering 35 jobs this week.

Kevin Bell, manager of the Queen 'B' pub on Princes Road, had advertised a recruitment drive for just over a week and was expecting dozens of jobseekers.

And he was not the only one who anticipated more competition – the people who came to apply thought they would have to queue for hours and fight tooth-and-nail to be in with the chance.

Gavin Ryder, a 17-year-old Chelmsford College student, said: "I was expecting a few more people to turn up today, as there were 35 jobs advertised but there is just eight of us.

"I have been looking for a job in a kitchen for a while now. I am quite worried about getting a job when I graduate and know that I need some experience beforehand.

"I think you need to get in early and gain experience in what you want to do full time but there are not many catering jobs out there.

"I only have one friend that has a job. The rest are unemployed although I know that most of them would like a job for some extra money."

David Lutton, who is 22 and unemployed, said: "I have found it very hard looking for a new job. It's really difficult at the moment and I was certainly expecting there to be more interest in these jobs advertised today. This has been a really interesting way of applying for a job, as we have got to chat and find out a lot about the job from Kevin.

"It feels like you need experience to do everything nowadays but I don't understand how you get that in the first place if you are young."

Mr Bell, who took up his post four weeks ago, said: "We want more than 40 staff to be running the pub and only have 13 at the moment. We hadn't had anyone express an interest but after the advert went out in the Chronicle we heard from half a dozen people.

"Hopefully those that came down will tell all of their friends about it and we will get some more people to interview. I am hoping to hand out some second interviews based on today's meeting."

Brian Debenham, 49, who was made redundant from his role as librarian at Marconi's, said: "It has been very difficult looking for a job these past six months.

"I had been employed at Marconi's for 28 years and although I am qualified as a technical librarian I have had to branch out into other types of employment because there is nothing out there.

"I figured that because I am a member of CAMRA and know a lot about beer that I would be quite good behind the bar. It has come to the point where I am having to look at other things."

Tom Murphy, 20, an ex-employee of Yates bar in Chelmsford, said: "I have been looking for a new job for about a month now but it being Christmas there doesn't seem to be anything going.

"Any part-time jobs are already taken up and full-time jobs are holding off looking for people until the new year. It's a bad time. I didn't know what to expect from today but I am hoping that I get the job, it seems like a really interesting place to work."

And Alex Hills, 17, who is studying mechanics at Southend College, said: "I live in Chelmsford and have been looking for a part-time job for about two months. It has been quite difficult and I have mainly been looking for bar and waiting work."