The workers will be hired by the Vertex, a global outsourcing company, which has a five year contract with the bank.

Benny Higgins, chief executive of Tesco Bank said: “We are focused on designing mortgage products that are consistent with the Tesco brand; namely, products that are simple, transparent and reward customer loyalty.”

He added: “Customer service is central to Tesco as a group and these will be crucial roles for the business as we look to enter the mortgage market next year.”

Tesco Bank launched three years ago and has 6.5 million customers mainly with insurance, loans, savings and credit cards.