RECENT job losses in Pendle will be high on the agenda during a visit on Wednesday by Mike Shields, chief executive of the North West Regional Development Agency.

He will look at success story Euravia Engineering, Kelbrook, before seeing the other side of the coin at Lear Corporation, Colne, which is closing with the loss of up to 350 jobs.

His itinerary also includes a meeting at Nelson and Colne College and a tour of deprived wards in the borough, finishing with an afternoon briefing at Northern Technologies, Nelson.

Dennis Mendoros, chairman of the public/private regeneration consortium Pendle Partnership, said: "We are looking forward to showing him around Pendle." Mr Mendoros, who is one of 13 board members on the development agency which was established last December by the Government to drive forward a co-ordinated regional approach to economic revival, added: "Many important themes and topics will be discussed, including the effect of recent job losses on the borough, the provision of education and training for local people and various social and community issues.

Acting Pendle Partnership secretary and Pendle Council chief executive, Stephen Barnes, added: "Pendle Partnership will be working very closely with the North West RDA in the future and the visit will prove to be a useful and productive day for all concerned."

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