Accounting firm Deloitte plans to hire 250,000 staff during the next five years as it seeks to benefit from rising global demand for regulatory scrutiny and risk management.

The company will hire about 40,000 people globally this year, chief executive Jim Quigley said, 2,600 of whom will be employed in Britain.

Deloitte will see its staff numbers rise to 250,000 by 2015 from 170,000 at present, allowing for natural staff turnover and retirees.

Quigley said: “We will definitely be hiring strongly in the UK … We’re very excited about Asia Pacific, headlined by China but also including India and South East Asia.”

“There’s no doubt that [regulatory] changes create opportunities for professional services firms, and that in turn helps Deloitte,” Quigley added.