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British Steel has said it could close its two blast furnaces as early as June, in a move that puts more than 2,000 jobs at risk, after failing to reach an agreement with the government over a taxpayer-funded deal to keep its operations going.
The Chinese-owned group told workers on Thursday morning that it would start consultations on job losses. The proposed closure puts at risk between 2,000 and 2,700 jobs at the company’s flagship site at Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.
The move is set to leave the British government with an acute dilemma over whether to nationalise the business if ministers are unable to find a private buyer.
This is a developing story
