A Huddersfield business has taken centre stage at a prestigious Tour de France event.

Leach Colour, of Bradley, was chosen to make and install a banner announcing the name of the Yorkshire arts festival that will run alongside the international cycle race, writes Suzanna Bain.

The banner, unveiled yesterday near Haworth, is made up of eight separate pieces and displays the words Yorkshire Festival 2014.

Photographers took to the air in a helicopter to snap the impressive banner, which spans 22m by 22m and is held in place by around 500 ground pegs.

“We’re really pleased and proud to be involved with such a prestigious project,” says Richard Leach, managing director of Leach Colour.

“We weren’t told much about it when we took it on, as it was confidential, so it was a bit of a mystery at first. All we knew was that it was a high-profile event.

“To be involved with the Tour de France is really exciting for everyone who has helped to make it happen.”

Yorkshire Festival is the first ever cultural festival to take place alongside the Tour de France Grand Depart. It will run from March 27 to July 6.

It is being supported by Yorkshire Water and will showcase the region’s finest creative talents in the run-up to the Grand Depart weekend, which kicks off in Leeds on July 5.

The race runs through Calderdale, Huddersfield and Holmfirth on July 6.

Calderdale Council is working alongside Welcome to Yorkshire and Arts Council England to support the 100-day cultural event.

Council leader Tim Swift said: “Yorkshire Festival 2014 will be a spectacular experience and is just one of the many opportunities for the people of Calderdale to become involved in the Tour de France.”

Leach Colour’s banner was revealed at Yorkshire Water’s Lower Laithe Reservoir near Haworth, one of eight locations to host an exciting piece of land art for the duration of the festival.

It was created in collaboration with Sheffield design agency Jaywing.

Gary Verity, chief executive, of Welcome to Yorkshire, said there had been a huge response to a rallying call from the region’s arts community to create a memorable arts festival to celebrate the Grand Depart.

“We are in the final throes of agreeing the official festival programme which I can tell you features some absolutely fantastic events. The 100-day festival will be a really exciting way to welcome the world to Yorkshire.”

The official festival programme remains a closely guarded secret and is scheduled to be announced at the end of January.