Europe and Yorkshire prove to be good bedfellows.

Sir Leon Brittan electronically adjusts Dunlopillo's luxury bed flanked by Gavin Little, finance director, left, and Mike Holliday, operations director

That seemed to be the message when Sir Leon Brittan, vice president of the European Commission, visited bedmakers Dunlopillo in Pannal, near Knaresborough.

Sir Leon, a former MP for Richmond, had asked to visit a company with a strong export record and positive stance on Europe as part of his tour of Yorkshire arranged by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Dunlopillo's finance director Gavin Little and operations director Mike Holliday took Sir Leon on a tour of the company which has just launched a 21,000sq ft bed production unit as part of a £2 million plan to increase output by 30 per cent and double home sales over the next five years.

Sir Leon also saw the showroom where he tried out Dunlopillo's luxury electrically-adjustable beds.

After learning that more than 60 per cent of latex produced at Pannal is sold overseas, equating to around 40 per cent of the company's turnover, Sir Leon said: "Dunlopillo is a prime example of a thriving export business in Yorkshire.

"And it's good to see a Yorkshire manufacturer which is so committed to promoting British products overseas.

"The advance of the Single European Currency will be excellent news for companies such as Dunlopillo, bringing with it a more profitable and accessible European marketplace."

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