Online fashion chain Asos is creating more jobs in Birmingham as it expands less than six months after setting up in the city.

The e-commerce pioneer is employing eight more people, taking its total workforce in the city to 24, and taking on more space at the Custard Factory.

Chief information officer Pete Marsden told the Post he expected further expansion next year, after the firm’s first foray outside London had proven a success.

It is thought the number could rise to 50 in the next year, with more roles in web development and back office functions created.

Mr Marsden said: “We opened the office in April and this is our first extension to our technology division outside of London.

“We work in Shanghai and India but this is the first time we have grown the technology team outside of London.”

He added: “We are recruiting a third team in Birmingham, which will take us up to about 24 people, and I fully expect we will carry on increasing it in 2014.

“We are growing so quickly at Asos – about 30 per cent year on year – so it is important that the technology keeps pace.

“We need to make sure we can bring really good people in and the good thing about Birmingham is the proximity to London and the catchment area for employing good people.”

Asos’s Birmingham office is centred around software engineering, with specific focus on IT coding and testing – which are all identified as growth areas for the city.