LURE just five leading businesses to set up shop in York and North Yorkshire to transform the region's economy.

That was the mission set for 42 of the region's new ambassadors - all influential movers and shakers in the area handpicked for the task by york-england. com, the inward investment organisation.

They gathered at a sumptuous dinner in the illustrious setting of Castle Howard, near Malton, to toast the beauties and benefits of the region and pledge to urge businesses outside to set up bases here.

Roger Taylor, commercial property partner of the massively growing Langleys solicitors of York which sponsored the get-together, said: "Just five new leading businesses coming to this area of the country has the capacity to transform our economy and make that difference.

"This is why I feel so passionately that this project is right and Langleys should support it."

He added: "The fact that Langleys has been able to grow by 25 per cent each year for the last three years and attract top professionals to join us is reflective of the business opportunities which already exist.

"However, if we as a business, like many others, are going to continue to grow we need to support initiatives such as this."

Over the past decade, the inward investment board under different names has attracted 130 companies to the region, directly creating 3,500 jobs.

Add to that perhaps 10,500 supply chain jobs and the total leaps to 13,000 But Peter Wilkinson, vice chairman of york-england. com told the gathering there was no room for complacency.

He said: "We face competition from abroad and the rest of the country and we must look for opportunities for this area to compete.

"We need help from ambassadors to sell the region. Go out there and bring in the investment."

The event echoes a similar initiative set up for Scarborough, only on a grander scale.

Ambassadors were appointed from a number of sectors including rail and haulage, York's two universities, science-based firms, banks, manufacturers, retailers, property developers and agents, motor sales, financial services, places of entertainment, professional services, investment funds, The Press, local authorities and the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

They will meet twice a year, with different sponsors hosting each meeting.

Denise Stuart, chief executive of york-england. com said: "We have issued all our ambassadors with facts and figures. They would naturally proselytise our region to outside business interests looking to uproot or expand, but this now concentrates everyone's minds wonderfully."

Guest speaker, Martin Vander Weyer, business editor of the Spectator who lives in Helmsley, described the launch of the ambassadors scheme as "a bold initiative."

He said: "We have a right to claim that this area is world class. I have travelled the world, but feel that we have so much potential. This area could certainly revert to how it was in medieval times and be one of the leading commercial centres of Europe."