Lord  Mayor of London Boris Johnson delighted fans when he visited Lancashire on a whistle-stop tour of the county.

The blond beacon, who was in the area to bang the drum for the Tories, visited Shackerley (Holdings) Group, Euxton, which makes ceramic granite cladding for Tube stations.

Mr Johnson met the staff and toured the site, along with Rob Loughenbury, prospective Conservative MP for Chorley.

And he was clearly impressed. He said: “This company is a fantastic example showing the deep links between London and the rest of the country.

“The scale of the ambition at this company is impressive and one thing they are doing is driving jobs all over the country.”

Founder and chief executive of Shackerley Brian Newell said: “We are absolutely delighted that Shackerley was specially selected for this high profile visit.

“It was a superb opportunity to show him how we have managed to make an impact in the world of architecture and construction across the whole of the UK.”

Mr Johnson promised a Conservative government would spread the ‘London effect’ of prosperity North if the party wins the 2015 General Election.

He denied any leadership ambitions saying: “I expect David Cameron will win the next election and be Prime Minister for a long time. I am here to say that what is good for London is good for the North. A Tory government will spread the London effect to places like Chorley, Blackburn and Darwen.”