Birmingham City Council (BCC) has repudiated claims that city assets such as the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and Symphony Hall could be sold off.

Talking to BBC West Midlands, leader Mike Whitby said there was no move to sell off the venues to Middle East-based investors and that suggestions to contrary were untrue. Whitby said that the council had been looking into the potential for "sophisticated public/private sector partnerships" to benefit venues that also include the International Convention Centre (ICC).

"We are not talking to anybody about selling the NEC, the ICC or Symphony Hall," he told the BBC.