AS the linchpin of United's defence Rio Ferdinand knows a thing or two about tactics.

And bosses at Rosso - Rio's swanky new Italian restaurant - showed they did too when they opened the doors for the first time this week.

They splashed out £1,800 hiring 15 parking bays outside the restaurant for a four-day launch.

And the spaces were soon filling with a fleet of luxury cars.

Two Rolls Royces, a Lamborghini and a Ferrari were parked outside the restaurant in Spring Gardens yesterday afternoon.

Town hall rules state companies can hire bays for £30 per day, but only for 'essential works', loading or filming.

Rosso's management had told council bosses the parking spaces were needed for 'filiming purposes.'

A spokesman for the restaurant told the M.E.N the flash cars were being used as part of the filming of the launch.

Ferdinand's agent said that - as a 'silent' partner - he was not involved in operational decisions.

The spaces were originally booked from Wednesday until 11.58pm on Saturday.

Notices warned drivers that they were not allowed to park there due to 'event, filming and unloading'.

A council spokesman said that since filming had finished on Thursday, the bays would be available to the public from 6pm last night.

Rosso - on the site of the old Establishment restaurant in Manchester city centre - held a low-key opening for Rio's family and friends on Wednesday.

It held a second event for corporate clients on Thursday, and a third for the media last night.

Tonight it will open to the public.

Rosso, whose name fittingly translates to 'Red' is the brainchild of Ferdinand, young Manchester entrepreneur Adam Karim and a third silent paper.

But the Reds centre-half is understood to have distanced himself from the venture after coming under fire for allegedly not concentrating all his efforts on the pitch.

The council spokesman said said: "An application was made through the correct channels for the suspension of 15 parking bays for four days, for event filming and for loading and unloading purposes, which met the set criteria."