A STEEL company has announced it is to open a recycling centre in the North-East.

Liberty House has launched a metal recycling business as part of its plans for the future of steelmaking in the UK.

Bosses told The Northern Echo they could not confirm the exact location of the region’s centre, but did say they expected it to create a “few dozen” jobs.

A spokeswoman for Liberty House said: “It is too early to say just yet where in the North East the centre will be located and is dependent on a number of factors.

“In terms of jobs, we will be looking at around a few dozen jobs directly on site and more out in the wider economy, involved in transport and supply contracts” she added.

The company said it will set up a processing centre in Newport, South Wales, where it already operates a one million ton a year hot strip mill.

Recycling centres are also expected to be set up in other areas, including the Midlands, South East and Scotland.

The spokeswoman added the UK's domestic supply of metal for recycling is set to rise by 10 million tonnes a year over the next decade.

“One key objective of the new enterprise is to support the rapid growth of Liberty's steel business in the UK which will be based largely on melting scrap steel in electric arc furnaces” she said.

“Liberty Metal Recycling aims to set up a recycling processing centre in regions of high scrap metal generation and close to Liberty’s steel melting and rolling facilities, including the North East.

Liberty House also said it will develop its recycling business in the United States and continental Europe.

Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman at Liberty House, said the launch was a "very significant step" for the steel industry.

"The projected growth in the supply of scrap in the UK and in other developed economies over the coming years provides the basis for a strong, competitive and sustainable steel industry for the future" he added.