THE impact of a no deal Brexit would be catastrophic for Britain’s remaining steelmakers, a North-East MP has warned.

Redcar MP Anna Turley's warning follows a meeting yesterday between MPs and representatives of Britain’s four biggest steel firms – British Steel, Tata Steel, Liberty Speciality Steel and Celsa Steel UK.

The companies, which continue to conduct operations on Teesside including British Steel’s Teesside Beam Mill and Liberty’s pipe mill at Hartlepool, explained to the all-party group on steel the consequences of Britain crashing out of the UK without a deal.

The export of some 2.6 million tonnes of UK produced steel to the EU each year would be severely disrupted by additional administration, costs and border delays, they claimed.

The trade body, UK Steel, estimates as much as five per cent would be added to the cost of a tonne of steel – estimated at £70m per year for the sector.

Industry experts also warned no deal would also leave British steelmakers without the protection of the EU’s recently introduced steel safeguards against unfairly subsidised steel from elsewhere in the world.

Ms Turley said: “Redcar knows better than most how painful the impact of global steel markets can be. Whilst our blast furnace has gone, our speciality steel businesses remain.

“Listening to the steel companies explain their Brexit preparations, it was an extremely harrowing picture which brought back the horrors that we had to face.

"A no deal would strip away trade agreements and trading safeguards overnight, which would be a catastrophic blow."