£500M..Sarukoo TO AXE US

 Fury as Tata scraps ,000 steelworks jobs,  Fears Port Talbot ill be a ghost town

- GRAHAM HISCOTT

DEVASTATED steelworkers last night warned axing so many jobs at Port Talbot will spark an economic nightmare that could turn the oncethriving area into a ghost town.

And unions accused the Tories of lavishing vast sums of cash on the site's owners Tata only for it to go ahead and scrap nearly 3,000 staff, despite a major drive to save the posts.

No 10 is funding part of the £1.25billion cost of building a less-polluting electric arc furnace at Port Talbot in South Wales.

But the site's two blast furnaces and coke ovens will shut, causing job losses.

The Community union, Unite and the GMB said in a joint statement: "It's unbelievable any government would give a company £500million to throw 3,000 workers on the scrapheap.

"It is an absolute disgrace that Tata Steel, and the Government, appear intent on pursuing the cheapest instead of the best plan for our industry, steelworkers and country." Community general secretary Roy Rickhuss warned: "Decisions made now will reverberate for generations to come."

His fears were echoed by Rhydian Mizen, who worked at the Port Talbot site for 38 years.