BOARD of Trade President Margaret Beckett came to see the future of industrial Pendle, but her feet hardly touched the ground before she was off again.

Mrs Beckett had been due to see the work of local firms when she opened the plush £700,000 Pendle Business Centre in Commercial Road, Nelson.

Her visit was cut short at the last minute because she was called back to the House of Commons to do battle with her opposite number John Redwood.

She apologised for her flying visit, saying: "It's a great pleasure to be in the area and I very much applaud what is going on in Pendle which is absolutely right with the council, the Pendle Partnership and business firmly working together to bring economic growth.

"It fills me with far more pleasure than dealing with Mr Redwood."

The centre is part of a network of business links in East Lancashire designed to help industry by finding potential customers and competitors, explaining legislation and exploring export markets.

After opening the centre Mrs Beckett addressed members of the Consortium of Lancashire Aerospace.

She was told about the association's plans to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized firms to compete in a world market and its ambition to make aerospace technology in the North West the best in Europe.

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