A new report from recruitment giant Vedior says that Eastern Europe is the best source of foreign talent for UK companies as the skills crisis deepens.

Eastern Europe is way ahead of France and Germany as the second and third most important sources of skills.

In contrast, North America, India and the Far East are seen as being far less important sources of talent, according to human resource managers interviewed for the survey by Ipsos MORI.

Workers from Eastern Europe will be particularly important for the manufacturing sector, the survey found, with 38% of manufacturers saying the region would be the best source of skills outside the UK.