OXFORD:Harley-Davidson and Buell have appointed Stuart Farrell as managing director for the UK and Ireland.

Mr Farrell, who replaces Paul Stroud will continue his current role as managing director of the Middle East and Africa subsidiary.

After joining the company in 1997, Mr Farrell quickly moved into the distributor markets where he was instrumental in establishing the Spanish subsidiary and introducing the Harley-Davidson brand to Russia.

In 2004, he was appointed director of international direct markets (IDM) before setting up a new subsidiary in South Africa.

He said: "I'm really relishing the prospect of starting work with the UK and Ireland market immediately and one of my first priorities is meeting the 35-strong dealer network."