John Lewis row 'sends wrong message' says Belfast Chamber of Trade head

The controversy over the location of a John Lewis store in Northern Ireland sends out the wrong signal to potential investors, the president of Belfast Chamber of Trade has said.

Legal proceedings are ongoing over the store's location, originally planned for Sprucefield, near Lisburn.

Paul McMahon, who is also director of Belfast's Castle Court shopping centre, said clarity was needed over planning.

He said costly legal battles were counterproductive.

"What that does is send out the wrong message that Northern Ireland is not open for business," he told the BBC's Inside Business.

"We need a policy that is explicit and crystal clear around town centres first.

"If you were to apply that policy, that would bring John Lewis to a capital city, which in this case would be Belfast."

Inside Business is on BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle at 13:30 BST on Sunday.