Bradford bosses have hit back at claims that Yorkshire's industrial performance compares to that of countries like Hungary, Chile and Israel.

A new report, which aims to expose the north-south divide, says regions like London and the south-east are performing as well as the world's ten most competitive nations such as Singapore, Switzerland and Denmark.

But Chris Schofield, company secretary at growing Saltaire firm Filtronic Plc, said: "We are a major exporter and that is saying something with the pound as strong as it is at the moment.

"I think it is meaningless to be compared to places like Hungary and Chile."

He was supported by Tim Hindley, chief executive of Bradford Breakthrough which promotes the district on behalf of 25 major companies. He said: "In Bradford, companies such as Ellis & Everard, Pace and Filtronic are very competitive."

The report, by Robert Huggins, of the Centre of Advanced Studies at Cardiff University, comes as Bank of England Governor Eddie George was expected to be challenged on the north-south divide when he speaks at St George's Hall, Bradford.

John Watson, chairman of Business Link Bradford & District said: "This is a ludicrous comparison. If you compare some of the worst parts of Yorkshire and the Humber with the best parts of Hungary, you would find this region would look better."

The centre's report, which was sponsored by the Government-backed Economic and Social Research Council, includes a competitiveness index which shows Yorkshire and the Humber as an under-performing region.

The index is based on gross domestic products, earnings, number of businesses per head, number of knowledge-based businesses, economic activity and unemployment.

It says the possibility of growth of knowledge-based companies in the south is "very worrying for the north.

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