THOUSANDS of businesses across the North-East are being urged to throw their weight behind The Northern Echo's Support Our Port campaign.

Members of the region's largest business network, the North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) are being asked to voice their support for a £300m investment at Teesport, which will bring 7,000 jobs to the region.

The chamber has sent letters to its 5,000 members asking each business to write or e-mail back to support Teesport's vision for the Tees Valley and the North-East.

The pressure from businesses could help persuade the Government to stop port expansion in the South and bring it to the North instead in a move which one MP said could almost wipe out Teesside's unemployment problems.

Teesport owner PD Ports is lobbying the Government to turn down planning applications for three congested southern ports and develop a national "ports strategy" which would allow more balanced expansion.

Then PD will be able to invest the £300m it has set aside for a deep sea container terminal so ships can come directly to the North from the Far East and unload containers of goods - cutting down on UK traffic congestion.

George Cowcher, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: "PD Teesport's plans for a £300m deep sea container port encapsulate the essence of efforts, via the Northern Way, to close the massive wealth gap between the North and the rest of the UK.

"The Northern Gateway proposal will transform the economic fabric of the Tees Valley and wider North-East with the potential to create thousands of jobs.

"It is vital that businesses in the area get behind the company's campaign to ensure that improvements are made in the north rather than further congesting over-crowded southern ports.

"To that end, NECC has volunteered to lobby its members to support this important initiative."

The investment would bring increased prosperity to the region, benefiting all the North-East's businesses.

PD Ports also wants the Department for Transport to upgrade rail links between the coast and Darlington so larger containers on goods trains can pass under the bridges. Railway upgrading near the port will also help secure the future of the Corus subsidiary Teesside Cast Products, which will be exporting millions of tonnes of steel from next year.