A growing number of British companies are recruiting expatriates living in southern Spain, it has emerged.

Due to a shortage of candidates in the domestic market, many firms are looking further afield to fill their vacancies, with technological advances meaning that workers do not need to be based in the same country as their employer to do their job.

PersonnelToday.com reports that telemarketing company Sense On Hold recently added ten British people living in Spain to its workforce. The new employees will not even have to travel back to the UK for initial training, as all elements of the job can be conducted online.

Recruitment expert Steve Mosser told the website: “The idea behind recruiting expats is that it doesn’t matter where you are to do this job, as long as you fill certain criteria.”

This arrangement means that British property owners on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca could enjoy all the benefits of living in Spain while working for a company based in their home country.

Property website BuyAssociation recently stated that many of the UK’s first-time homebuyers are looking to get on the property ladder in Spain because of the country’s more relaxed buying process.

A new station for high-speed trains could be built in Alicante province under proposals revealed by a group of local business leaders.

Located at Bacarot, the AVE station would serve both Alicante city and the nearby Costa Blanca city of Elche, with businesses hoping that the development will help to create an important new metropolitan area in southern Spain.

The ministry of development will now consider the plans, which have been put forward by the Business Confederation for Alicante Province, Typically Spanish reports.

If given the green light, the new station would also provide transport links for Alicante’s El Altet Airport. Construction is not likely to begin for several years, however.

According to official statistics released last month, El Altet is now the sixth busiest airport in Spain, with passenger numbers increasing by three per cent last year.

The train station could also be used by holidaymakers and property owners travelling to other popular Costa Blanca locations such as Torrevieja and Santa Pola.

An expatriate group of female entrepreneurs based on the Costa Blanca has announced a partnership with the Torrevieja Small and Medium Businesses Association (APYMECO).

Company Women (CW) will join forces with the organisation in a collaboration which has received the backing of international residents’ councillor Pedro Valero, Costa Blanca News reports.

The alliance will allow APYMECO to connect with an international audience, while CW members will receive advice and support, as well as discounts on products and services, from business leaders with local knowledge.

Councillor Valero commented: “This is very positive for Torrevieja society, to see businesses joining forces beyond languages and improving international relations.”

Led by Caroline Garrett, CW was formed in 2005 and now consists of over 300 members, with many different nationalities represented. The organisation aims to offer support and training for women looking to go into business on the Costa Blanca.

Torrevieja has one of the most diverse populations in southern Spain, according to recent figures, with 53.6 per cent of residents coming from different countries.

People with an appreciation of cartoon art are advised to head to southern Spain this month, as an interesting new exhibition has opened in Alicante.

The Enrique 1972-2005 exhibition contains a selection of drawings by the celebrated Spanish cartoonist Enrique Perez Penedo, who was born in the Costa Blanca city.

Giving visitors the chance to view the work of one of Spain’s most gifted and humorous cartoonists, the exhibition runs until February 18th, according to Communitat Valenciana.

Penedo’s work has appeared in the local newspaper Informacion de Alicante, as well as Spain’s leading sports publication La Marca and the magazine Panorama Azul. He is also president of the Spanish branch of the European Federation of Cartoonists’ Organisations.

Alicante is currently a major attraction for cartoon fans for another reason - the new Asterix movie was shot on location in the city and premiered at the Teatro Principal on Tuesday (February 5th). Nearby areas such as Benidorm and Santa Pola can also be seen in the film.

Property in Spain has plenty to offer both second home buyers and professional investors, an expert has said.

Editor of independent property website BuyAssociation Paul Collins said that Spain will “always be popular with British overseas buyers” for a variety of reasons, such as the country’s climate, way of life and established status as a favourite holiday destination.

However, he also stated that Spanish property is very useful for investment purposes, particularly as the element of risk is comparatively low compared with other investment markets such as eastern Europe.

“Spain still offers some really good investment opportunities,” he said.

Mr Collins advised people looking for a property in Spain to take time over their decision and research all locations thoroughly, no matter what purpose they are buying for.

“Make sure that the property you find is exactly the right one for you,” he added.

According to a recent survey by pensions provider Scottish Widows, 39 per cent of British people consider moving overseas for their retirement, with many people favouring the warm weather and laidback lifestyle of the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

An area of the Valencia region will soon be protected as a national park, according to plans unveiled by the Spanish government.

The Sierra de Escalona, which provides a home of large number of rare animal species, will become Valencia’s first national park when it is established later this year, Homes Worldwide reports.

Maria Angeles Centeno, director general for the management of the environment, stated that the Sierra currently contains one of the largest populations of wildcat in the country, as well as a significant number of the Bonelli’s eagle.

The area’s new status as a national park will prevent major building projects in the area and ensure that the animals’ natural habitats are maintained, according to the website.

IberiaNature.com states that there are only about 1,000 pairs of Bonelli’s eagles in the whole of Europe, with 750 of these found in Spain.

A relaxing break with plenty of sun and sand is still a popular option for newly-married couples, it has been claimed.

Wedding planning service Hitched.co.uk said that “traditional” locations are still preferred by many British honeymooners, despite people generally becoming more “adventurous” with their choice of holiday in recent times.

A large number of couples could be arranging trips to the beaches of the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol this month, with the company revealing that the start of the year is a peak time for honeymoon bookings, due to the number of competitive travel deals available.

“Some couples like to do the traditional style of honeymoon [and] relax on a deserted beach for two weeks, whereas others opt for the more adventurous type of trip,” explained Hitched.co.uk spokesperson Francesca Moore.

A record number of people travelled to Spain last year, according to figures from the Industrial, Tourism and Trade Ministry, with the country receiving 59.2 million visitors in 2007.

Fans of Asterix may like to head to Alicante this week, as the comic character’s latest film instalment is set to premiere in the Costa Blanca city.

According to Typically Spanish, Asterix at the Olympic Games will be shown for the first time at Alicante’s Teatro Principal on Tuesday, having been shot in several locations around Alicante.

Made at a cost of €78 million (£58.5 million), the film is said to be the most expensive movie production in European history and was mainly shot at the Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante, while nearby locations such as Santa Pola and Benidorm were also used.

Gerard Depardieu reprises his role as Asterix’s faithful companion Obelix, while Clovis Cornillac takes the title role. Veteran French actor Alain Delon also stars as Julius Caesar.

The film is adapted from the popular series of comic books by French artists Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. According to Time magazine, the new movie also features cameo appearances from Zinedine Zidane and Micahel Schumacher.

A British family have relocated to the Costa Blanca and claim that it has enabled them to enjoy a more active family life.

John Chessher, a software businessman, decided to take a life changing decision to relocate and invest in a Spanish property on the coast after he found that he was working long hours and not spending enough time with his family.

The Chessher family now live on the Costa Blanca and have fallen in love with Spain’s inclusiveness, the friendly people and its rich traditions and customs, Homes Worldwide reports.

Mr Chessher, 40, is delighted to have swapped the executive lifestyle in England and Hong Kong for life in Spain, which gives him a chance to enjoy life outdoors because of the sunny climate.

“I used to go to work in the dark each morning and come home after my daughter had gone to sleep,” he explained. “Now I balance work with family trips to restaurants and scuba diving - it’s quite a change.”

An exhibition of ancient glass pieces has opened at the Archaeological Museum (MARQ) in Alicante, showcasing some fine examples of glasswork dating back hundreds of years.

Entitled La fragilidad en el tiempo: el vidrio en la Antigüedad (Fragility through the times: glass in ancient times), the exhibition of glass pieces from antiquity runs until March 4th 2008 in the Costa Blanca city.

The artefacts featured in the exhibition include pieces of jewellery, vessels, amulets, fragments and cooking utensils, have all been temporarily donated by the Catalonian Museum of Archaeology as part of a project on glass sponsored by the European Union, according to Communitat Valenciana.

Arranged to take visitors through different periods in the history of glass, use of the material and fabrication techniques, the exhibition features over 150 items made between the eighth century BC and the sixth century AD.

The city of Alicante is a Mediterranean port overlooked by the stunning Castle of Santa Barbara, with a population of more than 300,000 people and beautiful Costa Blanca beaches. The city is popular with both tourists and people buying homes in Spain and enjoys year round sunshine.