Evening Gazette quoted former union bosses, who fought for Corus' survival 5 years ago, as saying that the battle must continue to secure a future for Teesside steel.

Mr Tony Poynter and Mr Ian Crichton fought the last serious threat to Teesside Cast Products’ survival in 2003-04.

Mr Ian said that "The cost to the public purse of closing Teesside Cast Products is astronomic. Why do it? If this plant was a pit with no coal in it you could understand. But it’s a real asset."

Mr Tony said that TCP's crisis is set against a backdrop of world market failure. He added that "I believe there will be an upturn next year and I think it needs something putting together to keep it going until then. It is not beyond the government to find some way of helping. There may be lay offs for a period but they could get assistance with wages."

According to Mr Michael Leahy, general secretary of the Community union, closure would land the taxpayer with a GBP 100 million annual welfare bill and push unemployment from 7% to 9% on Teesside overnight. He said that "But we do not see that as an option. We have been around 100 years and we intend to be producing steel here in the next 100 years."

(Sourced from www.gazettelive.com)