John Forkin, manager of Marketing Derby, believes the area should also make more of its industrial heritage.

Listeners to BBC Radio Derby have suggested that trains or jet engines could be displayed by roadsides or in shopping centres.

Mr Forkin said eye-catching ideas like that could help change peoples' perceptions of the city.

'Low image'

He said: "When we do ask people 'give us your impressions of Derby', some people didn't even know it was a place, they thought it was a horse race."

"People will talk vaguely about 'Is it an industrial, dirty town?'.

"In a sense it probably doesn't have a negative image - but neither does it have a positive image.

"In truth, out there in the bigger market, it has a very low image and that is what we have to tackle."