New plans to reverse the "chronic under performance" of Bradford companies in export markets is Yorkshire Forward's top business priority, according to the organisation's new chief executive.

Tom Riordan, above, who becomes the youngest RDA chief executive when takes over from Martin Havenhand early next year, said more needed to be done to help business.

"The main priority is exporting," he said. "Finding new markets is a real opportunity for us. Over the past couple of years we've turned round the chronic under performance. But we had a lot of years when we were below the UK average.

"Only three per cent of businesses in Yorkshire are still exporting. Yorkshire Forward has offices in the US, Australia, China and Brussels which we're turning into a gateway for the European economy."

Mr Riordan said another vital measure was to encourage the start up of more businesses, especially by younger people. He said the number in the region had risen by 1,000 over the past two years.

And he said Bradford was uniquely placed to make huge entrepreneurial strides because of its high levels of young people.

He said that it was vital to work with the colleges to ensure that students studying in the city stayed in the city afterwards.