THOUSANDS of people made have a powerful statement to the rest of the country to Save Our Steel.

Huge banners with the simple SOS message were erected in both the East and South stands at Middlesbrough's televised game against Leeds, thousands of fans held posters aloft with the same message and Boro's players wore SOS t-shirts.

At the match were Redcar MP Anna Turley and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Tom Blenkinsop who with their constituency parties tabled an emergency motion for the future of Redcar's steelworks to be discussed at the Labour Party conference.

Production has been suspended at the SSI-owned plant and it was only on Thursday when it was revealed that the steelworkers would be paid on Friday after the Government agreed an export tax rebate worth £4m.

The furnace is still burning but by next week the works could once again be shut down as the fuel runs out.

After the match, which Middlesbrough won 3-0 in front of a crowd of 27,694, MsTurley said she hoped SSI would reveal its plans for the site and urged the Government to intervene.

She said: "We want the Government to look again at state aid rules to allow intervention. There's a lot they can do. They've ruled out cash but they could secure the assets at the site.

"It was fantastic to see the huge support for the Save Our Steel campaign at the match. It was fantastic and just shows how everyone knows that steel-making is the heart of our community."

Mr Blenkinsop said the Redcar and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour Parties have been supported by other parties from Stockton North and Middlesbrough as well as steel-making areas from across the UK in their attempt to have issue debated the conference.

He argued the Government should save the steelworks in the national interest, adding: "This is a UK-wide issue. It's about saving a steel industry for the good of the country."

The motion filed to the Labour Conference says potential job losses could be "catastrophic" for the local economy and calls on the Government to develop an "active industrial strategy" to support the industry and review state aid rules to allow intervention in an "emergency situation".

Middlesbrough FC Chairman Steve Gibson and manager Aitor Karanka have joined the fight to save steelmaking on Teesside and Middlesbrough comedian, Bob Mortimer, used Twitter to urge people to sign a petition which could force a response from the Government.

The petition, which says the area will become a "ghost town" without steelmaking has already received the 10,000 signatures needed to force a Government response.

Following the match Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union which has members at the plant, said: "Getting the backing from both players and fans shows how much steel making is at the heart of Teesside.

"We want to thank them for their support. The message to Government is loud and clear to step in and ensure that steel has a future on Teesside. Everyone is united in our plea to save our steel.”

David Cameron has said his Government would do "everything that we can" to keep steelmaking on Teesside. But requests for bailout funding have been declined so far.