FRESH doubts were raised last night over ICI jobs on Teesside after the chemicals company announced it was slashing its UK workforce.

Unveiling disappointing second quarter financial results, ICI said 300 posts were to go from a total of 1,400 worldwide.

The cuts come on top of 700 job losses announced by the company in May in a bid to halt a slide in profits.

ICI said 100 office jobs would go at its headquarters in London and 200 largely administrative and management jobs across its UK operations during the next two years.

Likely to be hit is ICI's Uniqema business, at Wilton, in Redcar, Teesside, which manufactures speciality chemicals for a number of products such as sunscreens, nappies and paint.

Uniqema spokeswoman Pauline Short could not confirm reports that 50 jobs would go, but said: "There is a possibility that jobs will be lost at Wilton and we will have a clearer indication by November.

"It is highly likely that they will not be at a manufacturing level, but we will not disclose numbers until consultation is carried out with our workforce and the trade unions."

GMB boss Kevin Curran, a former northern regional secretary, said the announcement was more bad news for UK manufacturing.

ICI reported a 21 per cent fall in second quarter profits to £98m.

Taken across the half-year, bottom line pre-tax profits after one-off charges fell from £189m to only £47m.

ICI chief executive officer Dr John McAdam said: "Profits remain disappointing overall, and the economic outlook remains uncertain. Action is therefore required to further reduce costs."

However, there was some good news for the region's chemical industry, with the Government yesterday announcing a £50m aid package to modernise ICI's Ineos Chlor chlorine plant in Runcorn, Merseyside.

More than 2,000 jobs at the plant will be safeguarded by the regional assistance aid and more than 8,000 across the UK - including 1,000 in the North-East.

Reacting to the announcement, Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in his Sedgefield constituency yesterday, said: "The chemical industry is an extremely important part of the region's economy and this demonstrates the Government's commitment to high-skilled, high-value manufacturing."