Two years after SSI closure many steelworkers 'still struggling' says MP

On the second anniversary of the closure of the SSI steelworks and coke ovens in Redcar, the constituency MP Anna Turley has called for more support for families of ex-steelworkers and contractors who are still struggling.

In the wake of the steelworks closure, the SSI Task Force was set up to support new business start-ups, and to help fund training for former employees.

The government agreed funding packages worth £53m to provide a range of support schemes.

In August this year the Prime Minister Theresa May launched the South Tees Development Corporation, which has been working on plans to redevelop a 4,500-acre stretch of land on the south bank of the River Tees, including the site of the former SSI plant.

It was hoped that this would create thousands of jobs.