Yeovil PPC for the Liberal Democrats, Adam Dance met with Leonardo Helicopters.

The January 18 meeting aimed to engage with management and the workforce of the international firm that has famously made Yeovil the 'home of British helicopters'.

Mr Dance said: "I was very pleased to meet managers and staff at Leonardo who gave their time to show me around the site.

"We all know just how important Leonardo is to Yeovil, employing over 3000 people here, with another 12,000 engineering and manufacturing jobs across the country."

Chard & Ilminster News: Adam Dance toured the place that made Yeovil the 'home of British helicopters'

He went on to underline the importance of a strong government partnership, stating: "After meeting Adam Clarke, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, I was left in no doubt that Leonardo's future in Yeovil depends not only on orders received from overseas but also from the British government; we must ensure the government continues to look to British companies which need its support."

During the visit, Mr Dance toured the company's assembly areas for both new aircraft and repairs, and learned about the company’s outreach work with Yeovil College and local schools.

Mr Dance also acknowledged Leonardo's contributions to diversity in engineering.