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Unemployed man gets six job offers after daily reveals plight

An unemployed disabled man has been inundated with job offers after his mother wrote to a regional daily begging the newspaper to bring his plight to its readers’ attention.

The Northern Echo decided to run a front page story highlighting Graeme Watson’s search for new employment, which has been ongoing since he was made redundant by the Remploy factory in Spennymoor, County Durham, in 2012 after 27 years of service.

A week since his story was published, the 46-year-old has been offered six jobs.

His plight was brought to the attention of Echo editor Peter Barron in a letter from Graeme’s 72-year-old mother Audrey, with the initial story printed last Monday, pictured below.

Echo gRaeme

Audrey’s letter told how, in 2012, the government shut down the Remploy factory at Spennymoor, promising that there would be jobs in mainstream employment for the disabled workers who were being made redundant.

However, Graeme had been unable to find work since.

In an editorial published on Monday, Peter wrote: “One of our reporters, Joanna Morris, was tasked with writing the piece about Graeme’s plight and it was published on the front page, for maximum impact, last Monday.

“The result has been truly heart-warming. Today’s paper reports the very good news that Graeme has received not just one but several job offers. He has a choice of opportunities.

“It is not possible to come up with an answer to every plea for help. But when a happy ending can be found, it’s especially satisfying.

“Good luck, Graeme. And well done, Audrey – that’s what mums are for.”