THE chairman of the North East of England Process Industry Cluster has spoken of his concerns for the region's chemical industries following Brexit.

Mark Kenrick, director of Darlington-based 52b Consulting Limited, which provides management and business consulting, said it was still unclear what leaving the EU will mean for the North East's process industries.

He said: "The chemical industry on Teesside is linked to the EU by virtual pipelines which lots of products flow through between here and Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

"Anything that makes that flow more difficult will give the industry problems down the line.

"If we do not get a frictionless trade deal, it could delay shipments coming into Teesport and have a real impact on business."

He added that regulations could also cause problems, as anything exported into the EU would have to meet its regulations – again adding potential extra cost.

Mr Kenrick said: "The next 10 months or so will be crucial to see what the Government plans will be.

"The way we are leaving now has in no way for me clarified the uncertainty we are facing. We have no idea what a trade deal might look like.

"We also rely quite heavily on foreign skilled labour, people from around the world not just the EU, but they might think twice about coming to work in Britain. There is a skill shortage in the North East already, so that could cause real problems."

The chemical and pharmaceutical industry adds £18bn of value to the UK economy every year from total annual turnover of £50bn. 60 per cent of Teesside exports go to the EU and 75 per cent of imports come from the EU.

He said: "We are at the heart of British industry and must be protected. We cannot suffer further blows to our ability to remain competitive."