Scientists at Daresbury fear closure of their existing synchrotron, which they say will leave the North-West with fewer than 300 government-funded research jobs while the South-East has more than 8, 500.

ECONOMIST: Why the North-West is getting keener on a regional assembly

Daresbury supporters believe this included a threat from the Wellcome Trust to pull its funding if the synchrotron went anywhere other than Didcot.

BBC: Science facility goes south