A LEADING politician has repeated her call for the Government to support the creation of a £2.8 billion minerals mine.

Councillor Mary Lanigan, leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, made the visit to Sirius Minerals mine, near Whitby.

The company plans to mine the polyhalite mineral used for fertiliser which would transported to Wilton, near Redcar, for processing before being transported around the world from Teesport.

The project has stalled and this week it was revealed that 10,000 businesses, organisations and individuals have signed a petition urging the Treasury to guarantee cash needed to finish the mine.

She said: “I was incredibly impressed with the scale of the mine and the professionalism of everyone involved. This is an opportunity for investment on a scale that would not only hugely benefit our region but the whole country.

"The social benefits of 1,000 good, well-paid jobs and more in the supply chain are obvious and Sirius is a company committed to our communities.”

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Matt Parsons, General Manager External Affairs at Sirius said: “It was a pleasure to show Councillor Lanigan the Woodsmith site.

"We appreciate the support from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council as we seek to deliver our project that can generate extensive social and economic benefits for the borough and the wider region."