THOUSANDS of workers at a threatened steel plant on Teesside have been given a reprieve after the company said its order book was full until the end of December.

Up to 2,000 jobs are at risk at Corus – owned by Teesside Cast Products (TCP) – in Redcar, east Cleveland, after a consortium pulled out of a deal to buy its steel in April.

A consultation period at the plant, due to end in August, was extended when new orders were placed for September.

And yesterday it was announced that further orders had been secured and the plant has enough work until after Christmas.

John Bolton, TCP managing director, said the news was a significant step forward.

He said: “Despite what is still a very difficult market position we have secured orders that buy us more time to explore possible long-term opportunities.

“We know we need to perform not only to win orders in the short term, but also to position ourselves as a successful business for the future. I know staff are working very hard in difficult circumstances.”

Redcar MP Vera Baird said, “It must be agony for workers who have had to go from month to month. At least here is a bit of reassurance for Christmas.

“I think the workers would agree that this shows steel customers are developing a strong faith in Redcar’s product and looking for a longer term relationship. Good news all round.”

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader George Dunning said: “This brings a degree of security to the workforce until the end of the year at least, and we can only hope it also provides a merry Christmas and a potentially happier New Year for all.”

The plant provides employment for 2,000 staff and 1,000 contractors.

The 90-day consultation period started in May after an international consortium – consisting of Marcegaglia, Dongkuk, Duferco and Ternium Procurement – pulled out of an agreement, signed in 2004, to take 78 per cent of the output from the Redcar plant for ten years.

In January, two members of the consortium – Marcegaglia, of Italy, and Korea’s Dongkuk Steel – signed a memorandum of understanding to buy the TCP plant, but that has since expired.