Manchester used on UKTI website to promote North East

Feb 27 2010 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

THE Government body tasked with promoting the regions abroad has faced embarrassment after a photo mix up saw Manchester moved to the North East.

Foreign business experts at the UK Trade and Investment organisation last night were asked to prove they knew their Tyne Bridge from their Trafford Centre after a website they set up to promote the North East was revealed to be using a picture of Manchester.

Import and export experts at UKTI, whose main office is based in London, are responsible for convincing major employers across the globe to come to the UK.

Most recently the quango has played a role in tempting wind energy firm Mitsubishi Power Systems to come to the UK and potentially bring with it more than £100m of investment to the North East.

While representing the region abroad, UKTI staff are expected to act as proud ambassadors with a perfect knowledge of their patch and the opportunities and standards of living available to some of the world’s largest multi-national firms.

But their work cannot have been made any easier by a UKTI web page highlighting the benefits of the region with a picture of the Urbis Centre in Manchester.