THERE was laughter amid the chants at the mass protests outside Corus' Redcar works.

Tight family groups mingled with steelmen in work clothes and it was children with whistles who were making the most noise. This was no angry picket during a long-running strike but a simple protest from about 800 hard-working people who have given everything asked of them.

Mother-of-two Joyce Heseltine of Redcar was among their number. Surrounded by husband Barry and children Christopher and Richard she outlined why she was there. "It's hard to sleep with something like this hanging over your family," she said. "God knows what will happen to Redcar if the plant was to close, it would just be a ghost town."

Red cards were displayed, placards raised, speeches made then after about 40 minutes, everyone melted away hoping somebody in senior management had noticed.