Caparo Industries set to go into administration in latest blow to Britain's steel industry

Steel firm Caparo Industries is set to go into administration later today, ITV News has learned.

Caparo - which employs as many as 1,800 workers across 20 sites across England and Wales - is a major producer of steel products.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) will be appointed as administrators and will make a formal announcement on the firm's future within hours.

Caparo has been hit by the collapse in the market price of steel and the strength of the pound against the Euro, which has made imports more expensive.

It is the latest blow to Britain's steel industry after more than 2,000 jobs were lost following the closure of SSI's steel plant in Redcar in Teesside.

Tata Steel UK is also due to announce on Tuesday that 1,200 staff at plants in Scunthorpe and Scotland have lost their jobs.

Unions have called on the Government to take urgent steps to save the industry.

Caparo was founded by Lord Paul in the 1960s after he moved to Britain from India.

It quickly became one of the country's leading manufacturers of steel products such as steel tubing and aluminium forging.

It also makes specialist products for cars and aircrafts.