Gordon Brown paid a whistlestop tour to Leicester yesterday to open a £2m training academy and visit the city's recently unveiled statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Flanked by police outriders, the Prime Minister's four-car cavalcade arrived at the bronze statue, in Belgrave Gate, to a warm welcome from the crowd.

He was presented with a garland of roses and chrysanthemums by a representative of the Indian charity Samanvaya Parivar, who funded the statue.

After pausing briefly for photos and to lay a similar floral garland at the feet of the great 20th-Century leader, he wrote a short message in the visitors' book.

It read: "This statue is an inspiration to all who will visit. It reminds us of the great courage and vision of Gandhi and the great changes we can all work together to achieve."

Earlier in the day, Mr Brown visited the new £2m British Gas training academy, in Aylestone Road.

The academy will train hundreds of new gas engineers, who will help customers to save energy and money.

Mr Brown said: "Leicester, with this great facility, is leading the way. You should be very proud of this building. It will serve Leicester well and train the people we need to create a low energy future.

"High-quality skilled young people getting training here in Leicester is exactly what we want."

The academy, which is based in a former British Gas parts depot, employs around 40 people.

The energy supplier, which has 2,500 staff in Leicestershire, announced yesterday it would create 2,600 new jobs across the UK over the next three years as it rolls out new technology aimed at reducing the amount of energy used in the home.