LEADERS from steel communities across Britain will arrive in Redcar tomorrow to hold emergency talks on the beleagured steel industry.

The representatives from 30 local authorities, known as Steel Action, intend to mobilise a lobby group which will travel to London as soon as possible.

"The whole group is concerned about future job losses and of course we are concerned about job losses on Teesside," said Redcar and Cleveland Council's Steel Action delegate, councillor Norman Davies.

"We plan to establish a lobby group that will travel to London to meet with Government ministers as soon as possible," said Mr Davies. "We want to Government to preserve the industry and help protect jobs."

Redcar MP Dr. Mo Molam, who has had talks with the main steel union, the Iron Steel and Trades Confederation, and the management of Corus, will join Steel Action at its meeting at Wilton, Middlesbrough, tomorrow.

She will share her concerns, although she was relieved that the latest round of Corus job cuts did not impact on the Redcar workforce.

However, there will be job losses at the closure of the research and development facility at Grangetown. In June Corus announced more than 1500 job losses across the country. The firm, which employs 6,000 on Teesside, also decided to close its research centre in Middlesbrough, where more than 230 work. Steel Action intends to lobby to save the facility.

Mr Davies said he is also concerned about Corus' £20m spending plan announced at the end of June to modernise the Redcar blast furnace.

While union leaders said the spending represents a commitment to Teesside, Mr Davies questioned whether it is enough.

"It is less than anticipated," said the former steel worker. "How long will the refurbished furnace last with that level of investment? British Steel would have invested more."