I HAVE read with interest your reports on the Teesport deep sea container terminal proposal and how it will supposedly bring 5,500 jobs to the North-East.

If you look at a well established and much larger port, such as Felixstowe, which employs just over 3,000 after many years of investment and growth, I would like to see some breakdown in this number regularly quoted.

Unlike Felixstowe, Teesport serves a much smaller hinterland (our large towns of Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Richmond do not compare), the Humber can even boast Leeds, York, Nottingham, etc, and I cannot see the same expected growth here in Tees Valley as can and was expected in the South-East.

I very much support any growth in shipping and ports that transport cargo more economically and efficiently than road transport, but to get more positive local support all interested parties must be totally honest in their expectations on the numbers of potential people employed (remember Nissan, Siemens, Fujitsu).

The port has a number of other big customers who would love the same level of interest and investment given to this project to also continue growing. Don't forget these.

Captain Michael Barrass, Fir Tree, County Durham.