Britain more than $660mln of investments by Italian companies

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said Italian companies including defence firm Leonardo would make more than 500 million pounds ($660 million) of investments in the UK after he met business leaders during a trip to Rome.

The British government said Leonardo would invest 435 million pounds in its site in Yeovil in south west England, where it makes helicopters, and on research across the UK.

Steel manufacturer Marcegaglia will invest 100 million pounds in Sheffield in northern England to build a new clean steel electric arc furnace, Starmer added.

($1 = 0.7577 pounds)

(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)