A BRITISH-OWNED chemical company was last night accused of failing to support UK industry and jobs after it pulled the plug on its North- East plant while pledging to sustain two factories in the US.

Unions said they were “absolutely disgusted” with Elementis for announcing the closure of its chromium plant in Urlay Nook, near Eaglescliffe, on Teesside, which is the only factory of its type in the UK.

The announcement that the plant, which employs 135 people, will close comes despite London-based Elementis making group profits last year of £52m, up 36 per cent, and a rise in profits in its chromium division of 95 per cent to £27.7m.

The other two sites in its chromium division, in southern Texas and North Carolina, in the US, will remain open at the expense of the Teesside plant, which will close in a phased shutdown beginning at the end of June.

Elementis said the decision was taken because it could no longer be certain of the longterm cash flow and profitability of the Teesside plant.

But unions last night reacted with fury to the announcement, accusing Elementis of overlooking Britain in favour of its interests elsewhere.

Bob Bolam, regional organiser for the Unite union, said: “I am absolutely disgusted at this decision. This is a Britishowned company which is abandoning Britain and the jobs of British people in favour of retaining its two sites in the US.

“There are 135 people who will now have to try and find another job when this region is already overstretched for employment. This has come as yet another blow to Teesside and the North-East.

We are bitterly disappointed.”

Doubts have hung over the future of the Urlay Nook site, which makes products used to coat metals and tan leather and is the UK’s only cromium site, since Elementis announced restructuring proposals in February. In 2006, as part of another group restructuring, the plant was halved in size, with 114 people being made redundant and one of the kilns shut down.

The impending closure is the latest in a series of major plant shutdowns on Teesside, following British Polythene Industries (BPI) closing its Stockton site, with the loss of 165 jobs, and Invista’s announcement that it would be making 300 people redundant with the closure of its nylonmaking factory in Wilton.

Mr Bolam said: “There have been a series of major blows to Teesside, at a time when no more jobs can afford to be lost, and this announcement from Elementis only adds to the woes we are facing.”

In a statement yesterday, Elementis said it would be finalising its closure programme for the site in conjunction with employees and union representatives.

Details of when the final shutdown will take effect will be revealed with the company’s interim results in early August.