THE offices of a biotech company have been visited by Basingstoke’s MP.

Maria Miller visited the Basing View base of bluebird bio, the only UK office of a biotech company specialising in gene therapies.

The company has its headquarters in the United States, and the Basingstoke office is one of only a handful in Europe.

The MP met general manager Nicola Redfern and her team, to hear about the company’s plans to launch into the UK market their gene therapy products that seek to address the underlying causes of severe and rare genetic diseases.

Mrs Miller said: “It was great to meet the team at bluebird bio and hear about the fantastic work they are doing in this highly specialised and technical area of medicine.

“The company’s decision to locate the UK office here demonstrates once again Basingstoke’s well-deserved reputation as a hub for high tech innovative businesses, providing high quality employment opportunities for local people.”