THERE was new hope for thousands of steelworkers last night after Corus agreed to consider a last-ditch rescue package put forward by union officials.

The embattled Anglo-Dutch company has agreed to hold further talks with the unions over its plans to cut 6,000 jobs - more than 1,000 of them on Teesside.

Corus said it would look at the finer details of the proposal and meet union officials again in a month's time. It described yesterday's crucial showdown meeting in London as "constructive".

Tony Poynter, chairman of Teesside's multi-union steel committee, agreed, and said the meeting had gone reasonably well.

"We have agreed to further talks and while we are talking some progress can be made."

He said Corus had indicated it was willing to discuss a package put forward by the Teesside officials to help save the threatened coil plate mill at Lackenby.

The company also said it will consider a financial package from the Government, which would help workers retrain on-site while still working for the company, formerly British Steel.

But last night, Corus chairman Sir Brian Moffat warned the future of the company would be in doubt if it did not carry out the cut jobs as part of a drastic reduction in production.

Corus will now press ahead with the statutory 90-day consultation process, effectively triggering the countdown to the job losses.

While Sir Brian said he was prepared to consider the unions' last-ditch proposals, with trademark bluntness he told MPs on the trade and industry select committee he had not had second thoughts about the huge cutback.

However, he said: "We are not saying this is game, set and match. We will listen to any constructive suggestion people may wish to make."

Redcar MP and Cabinet Office Minister Mo Mowlam said: "I am happy that Corus are beginning to listen for the first time. I want to make sure Corus thinks again."

Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said the month-long breather was a "positive and helpful step".

But he added: ''Listening to the evidence given to the trade committee by Sir Brian Moffat, I don't put a great deal of hope on any progress - because he was adamant their decision was made after a great deal of consideration.

"Nevertheless, we must not leave any stone unturned to save jobs."

Meanwhile, news of a possible exit plan for Corus workers was greeted with mixed reactions last night.

EXi Telecoms announced plans to create 4,000 new jobs in the next two years. It intends to target steelmen facing the axe in its recruitment drive, although it is unclear how many places could be filled by Teesside workers.

EXi, based in Cheshire, said the new employees would be involved in implementing and maintaining equipment for mobile phone networks and Internet access.

Sir Ken Jackson, general secretary of the Almalgamated Electrical and Engineering Union, which brokered the jobs announcement, said: "This will be a genuinely radical way of dealing with the threat of redundancies at Corus."

But the ISTC dismissed the announcement as "cruel and a fantasy".

General secretary Michael Leahy said: "We are pleased EXi can offer some unemployed people jobs but how a company with only 1,500 workers and a turnover of only £40m could take on another 4,000 workers after 90 days seems to be far-fetched to say the least."

But Alistair Arkley, chairman of the Tees Valley Partnership and the Steel Task Force, said the announcement was "a very welcome shot in the arm for the efforts to help workers and their families - and create new employment opportunities in the Tees Valley".

Yesterday, Teesside steelworker Matthew Lodge travelled with his wife and children to London to hand over a dossier compiled by The Northern Echo and Evening Gazette to Corus bosses calling for a change of heart.

And one group of workers from the doomed coil plate mill at Lackenby decided to take matters into their own hands yesterday. The six men went to London to hold a peaceful demonstration outside Corus offices.

The men carried a banner emblazoned with "Teesside coil plate mill - quality products, quality workforce - don't waste it."

Duncan Seale said: "It always seems to be the union bosses talking to the Corus bosses and we wanted to give the personal touch and show them that this is actually affecting individuals.