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French region courts UK businesses post-Brexit

A region of France has launched a campaign trying to attract British investment after Brexit.

Hauts-de-France, the northern part of the country encompassing Calais and Lille, is calling on British businesses to consider using it as a foothold inside the European Union.

Some UK companies are considering their options for doing business in Europe after the UK leaves the EU, a process set to begin with the triggering of Article 50 in March.

Yann Pitollet, managing director of Nord France Invest, said he hoped such companies might consider France's north as "an alternative".

He told Sky News business presenter Ian King: "Actually we are not here as predators.

"Of course we don't know what's going to occur from the negotiations of Brexit.

"We believe that certainly London is still a fantastic place for services companies and financial services.

"The idea is to say that there might be some alternatives."

He added: "Our purpose is to bring them some solutions saying that maybe they want to share the risks and they want to still have a foot in the EU for the coming years."

In October, the head of the British Bankers' Association Anthony Browne said banks were among the businesses looking overseas, with "many smaller banks" planning to move before Christmas.

He said larger institutions were expected to follow within the first few months of next year, adding that their hands were "quivering over the relocate button".

Mr Pitollet said: "We know already that some financial companies have decided to set up in Frankfurt or Dublin.

"But we want to say to them that there are other regions and... we believe that Lille and other cities in the region could be a very interesting location for these kinds of companies."

He added that the possibility of some French companies deciding to move into the UK to take advantage of post-Brexit conditions did not concern him, as this would be "a win-win situation".