BURY-based dealership Richard Cort Motor Group is moving into the fast lane in time for Manchester's Commonwealth Games.

The well-known local business is supporting Rover in the company's involvement as official car sponsor for the Games, to be staged between July 25 and August 4.

Olympic triple jump gold medallist and current world champion Jonathan Edwards joined Rover for the sponsorship announcement. Richard Cort will be backing the deal by providing servicing and maintenance support to the fleet.

Jonathan was accompanied by his fellow Commonwealth Games athletes, cyclist and Olympic gold medallist Jason Queally, sprinter and Olympic silver medallist Darren Campbell and Britain's number one long jumper Jade Johnson.

Rover will provide a fleet of more than 800 chauffeur-driven cars to the Commonwealth Games, a record number of vehicles ever to be provided to a UK sporting event of this kind.

During the course of the competition, the fleet of Rover cars will travel approximately 1.5 million miles and will be driven by at least 1,600 Commonwealth Games volunteer drivers.

Richard Cort commented: "Manchester 2002 is set to be the biggest and best Commonwealth Games ever and we are honoured to be part of such a prestigious British event."