Following a Steel Summit where industry bosses failed to turn up, the Evening Gazette’s leader comment yesterday was aimed directly at the executives of steel giant Corus.

Steve Dyson, editor of the Teesside newspaper, chaired the meeting organised after Corus announced it no longer needed steel made in the area – a devastating blow to the workforce and wider community.

In a hard-hitting editorial column, which was supported by five pages of coverage, he pleaded with steel bosses to open up and talk with local people.

He wrote: “Gentlemen: the Steel Summit that you refused to attend was held yesterday, and we’re sure that you now realise the folly of your decision not to attend.

“But let’s make one thing clear: no-one will hold that against you if only you respond in the correct way. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone should be allowed to get away with at least one howler.

“That will certainly be the case with you – as long as you now engage properly with the public.”

The paper yesterday published the questions that were asked at the summit – and went unanswered, and the steel chiefs revealed they were in private meetings to consider how to respond to a tide of questions over the future of steel on Teesside.

Despite scorching temperatures more than 300 workers, families and members of the general public turned up to the historic Steel Summit at Redcar Bowl.

Their earnest questions were answered during the two-hour event by politicians, representatives of the government and various business support agencies.

And the industry’s top union leader, Michael Leahy, threatened industrial action if the company failed to work closely and honestly with them to lay properly structured plans for the futures of the 2,900 steelworkers employed at Redcar and Lackenby.

The summit, organised by the Evening Gazette, was broadcast live on BBC1’s Politics Show and was the top story on all local news bulletins and the main front page story two days running in the Northern Echo, the regional newspaper that covers the entire North-east.

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