EAST Lancashire businesses and councils have a new top contact at Westminster to help regenerate the area.

Manufacturing Minister Alan Johnson travelled up to the region yesterday to give a speech at Ewood Park.

Bill Taylor and Stuart Caddy, council leaders of Blackburn and Burnley respectively, East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Mike Damms and representatives from the East Lancashire Partnership joined other business and council officers in the audience.

And, at the end of the Minister's speech, Mr Damms, said: "It's nice to have the opportunity to work with government.

"It is also also pleasing to see they are very thoughtful on how to regenerate the area by working together.

"He can become a good contact by taking our concerns back to government and reporting back to us."

He added that East Lancashire working together was the way forward, rather than as individual areas and councils.

Mr Johnson said: "I wanted to travel to East Lancashire to listen to the problems they have in regenerating the area.

"It has been hit hard by problems in manufacturing.

"We want to create sustainable jobs and deal with problems of poor housing stock.

"I was very pleased to come here and listen to them talk and see what help we can give them."