THE warning coming out of the unions tonight could hardly be more stark – there could be as little as three days to save Teesside's steel industry.

It is estimated that there is only enough raw material to keep the Redcar Coke Ovens running until the end of the week and, unless they are kept burning, the chances of restarting steelmaking will be very slim indeed.

We do not believe that this is a case of the unions scaremongering. Throughout this most troubled period in the industry's recent history, union leaders have played a central and constructive role in trying to establish stability. It is simply a case of stating the gravity of the crisis.

In The Northern Echo's Jobs & Business pull-out tomorrow (Wednesday), we set out the pros and cons of a Government bail-out of steelmaking in the North-East. We accept that there are arguments against it, not least the question of where does the Government draw the line in using taxpayers' money to prop up an ailing private business.

But there are special circumstances when it comes to Teesside steel. Around 9,000 jobs are at stake in an area with some of the highest unemployment rates in the country. The welfare and social implications of those jobs being lost are enormous.

This dire economic threat comes at a time when the Government's Northern Powerhouse initiative needs to embrace the North-East, rather than be dominated by the North-West, if it is to have any credibility. The closure of Teesside's steelworks would seriously undermine the Northern Powerhouse negotiations.

We accept that it is not easy but, if the Government can bail out the banks, it is unthinkable that so many steel jobs would be allowed to burn out.