Midland Bank chief Brian Robertson will be in Bradford tomorrow to launch a new banking service for the district's Asian community.

Mr Robertson, who is the bank's national general manager, will be at the city's Stakis Hotel where he will launch the new service called Midland South Asia Banking in Bradford.

More than 200 business people are expected at the launch. The Bradford service has won more support than any other launched in the UK by the bank.

The first six South Asian business units were set up by the bank last August in Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham, Southall, Harrow and City of London branches.

The rest are being developed in East London, Coventry and Glasgow.

The Bradford unit will be run by Richard Bowers, Noaman Hasan and Richard Lobley, led by Wayne Bowser, the Midland's Bradford area manager.

The Midland Bank is part of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank which has strong links with south Asia.

Wayne Bowser said today: "The business community of Bradford has given this scheme the most support of any set up so far in the UK by the bank.

"We have built up good links with the Asian community in the district and this is an extension of that."

He said the bank had commissioned a report on the need for such a service from an Asian student which had helped the bank gain a further understanding of the Asian business community.

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