THE presses are rolling today on a York firm's £110,000 print contract to produce 25 million leaflets for the Green Party.

York Mailing Ltd, of Elvington, beat other firms who tendered across the UK from Cornwall to Tyneside for the print run, which should be finished in the next three days

The leaflets are needed to promote the Green Party in the next European elections on June 10.

Ironically, the man who is the Green Party's national print buyer is Mark Hill, Green councillor for Fishergate ward, here in York.

"It's absolutely staggering. I never realised when I placed an order nationally for the biggest print run we have ever had that a printer just two miles away would come up with the best deal," he said.

The bulk of the printing will be done at York Mailing's plant, with some of the leaflets going to its partner firm, Centre Web in Northampton.

Chris Ingram, chief executive of York Mailing Ltd, said: "We have printed in the past for most of the major political parties, including Labour, the Reform Party, Conservatives and now the Green Party.

"We haven't printed for the Lib Dems yet, but maybe that will happen later!"

Updated: 09:55 Thursday, April 22, 2004