ONE of Britain's top accountants - who admitted that as a Londoner his perspective of the economy lay largely in the south-east - said today after a whistle-stop tour of York: "It really opened my eyes."

Paul Druckman, national vice-president of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, was a guest of Business Link North and North Yorkshire when he visited high-tech allergy analysis company YorkTest.

He was also taken to the University of York, where he was introduced to Protechnica, the joint venture company created by chartered accountants Garbutt & Elliott, solicitor Harrowell Shaftoe and HSBC Bank to help spinoff companies from the university's bioscience incubator.

"It was so innovative, interesting and thought-provoking," he said, adding that the problems for many new businesses really began when they wanted to expand and needed advice.

Mr Druckman, who will be hosting a post-Budget breakfast with the Small Business Minister Nigel Griffiths, was also in North Yorkshire to assess the progress of the Institute's Yorkshire and Humberside branch, one of ten whose boundaries coincide with those of regional development agencies.

"The regional rather than local organisation works well. We are truly making an impact in Yorkshire," he said.

Updated: 09:16 Tuesday, April 08, 2003