The Derby Evening Telegraph is calling for transport minister Kim Howells to use his power to safeguard the future of 12,000 local jobs.

Some 1,800 posts could be lost if Derby-based train-maker Bombardier fails to win a £200m order to build 56 new trains for the Trans-Pennine route.

And a further 10,000 jobs at local suppliers to Bombardier could also be under threat if German rival Siemens wins the contract.

The Telegraph used its front page to address the minister under the headline: "12,000 reasons to fight for our jobs".

Launching the Hands Off Our Trains campaign, the paper said: "Today, Mr Howells, 12,000 workers in Derby need your help.

"The Telegraph demands that you use your power and influence to make sure Bombardier's bid to supply 56 trains for the new Trans-Pennine rail franchise succeeds against a competing bid by German-based Siemens.

"These trains are for British people and must be built in Britain - to safeguard our 163-year-old rail manufacturing history and our jobs.

"We know, Mr Howells, the final decision is not yours. But if you have the interests of the British rail industry and the people of Derby at heart, you will not fail us."

On page six, the paper's comment column read: "Can you imagine any other leading industrial European country putting itself in a position where it could wipe out a cornerstone of its transport industry by awarding a key contract abroad?

"We've had plenty of lip service from the Bombardier bosses this week, rightly praising the skill levels of the Derby workforce compared with their equivalents on the continent.

"Let's see a bit of Government muscle or arm-twisting applied for once, so that our railway stock does not become a laughing stock."

The Telegraph also called on readers to show their support by returning petition coupons to be passed on to the minister before he visits the Bombardier factory on September 3.

On Friday, the paper used its front page to reinforce the campaign to keep the order in Derby.

It cited five European countries which have had their own train orders made domestically.

With the headline, "We're the mugs of Europe", the paper quoted Tom Keogh of the MSF-Amicus union: "When there's an order for French rolling stock, that order stays in France. It's the same all across Europe, apart from here in the UK. This is not just a belief - it's a fact."

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