A load of cement may seem an unlikely object of sentiment. But builders' yard boss Ian Wallace has shed a tear over his latest, historic delivery.

The 11 tons of cement which Mr Wallace picked up was the very last of the millions of tons to be manufactured at the Blue Circle cement works at Eastgate, in Weardale, before it closed last month.

Mr Wallace, who with brother, Stuart, runs Middleton Forge, builders and farmers merchants, at Wolsingham and Middleton-in-Teesdale, has been a Blue Circle customer for more than 20 years.

But since the closure of the Eastgate plant by French aggregates giant Lafarge, which made 147 workers redundant, he has been making the long journey to Seaham docks on the County Durham coast.

"Out of the blue, I got a call from Blue Circle, asking if I would like to have the last cement on their premises at Eastgate," said Mr Wallace.

"Frankly, I thought it had all gone, along with the bulk of the workers. But there it was - 11 tons and two bags of it. "I know it may seem a bit daft, and it's difficult to explain, but I felt really sentimental seeing it loaded on to my lorry. I kept thinking about the workers who had lost their jobs in Weardale. They were given a real kick in the teeth by the French owners. It was so sad."

But Mr Wallace intends carrying on buying Blue Circle cement, which despite being taken over by the French company, still displays the distinctive blue circle on its bags.. "I have been approached by other manufacturers since the Eastgate closure, but Blue Circle is still the best product around."

Blue Circle's manager at Eastgate, Peter Greenho, said yesterday: "The Mastercrete sold to Middleton Forge was the last to be quarried and processed here in the dale. After 37 years of producing cement we thought it was appropriate that it should go to a long-standing local customer."