RURAL businesses are being urged to apply for European funding.

Metro mayor Steve Rotheram visited The Hayloft on Sandy Lane Farm near Widnes to remind firms that they are eligible for financial support.

He said: "Rural businesses are hugely important to the city region, contributing £700 million a year to our economy.

"My key priority is to drive economic growth for the whole city region and that has to include our rural areas.

“More than £600,000 in European Union funding is available to our rural businesses and food processing, money which will be lost to the region if we are not able to allocate it.

“I would urge rural businesses to look at the potential funding on offer and to speak to the Local Growth Hub if they think it could help them.”

The Hayloft has funded five full time jobs and more than a dozen part time positions with the help of the Mersey Rural Leader Fund.

The farm diversification enterprise is a family run working farm with a licensed cafe.

EU funding administered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority includes money available from the Mersey Rural Leader Fund, Rural Growth Programme for the Liverpool City Region , Countryside Productivity Scheme and a variety of environmental grant programmes