A TRAINING charity forced to close operations in Libya as war broke out is set to return to the country after talks with representatives of the new Government.

The TTE Technical Training Group, which provides oil and gas industry training to firms in Africa and the Middle East to fund its apprenticeship courses in the Tees Valley, had to pull five staff out of Libya in May.

It came shortly after the Middlesbrough based organisation had established its first permanent office in the country.

It had also won its ever biggest training contract, for German firm Wintershall's Libyan operations.

It has since had talks with a British based representative of the National Transitional Council (NTC), which wants the firm to return to the region once the situation stabilises.

With the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi this week there is hope that the NTC will soon be able to put the country back on an even keel.

TTE managing director Steve Grant said: "We had set up TTE Libya and then war broke out as we were advertising for staff to go out there.

"We had five staff out there and we got them out before it got difficult, as soon as there was a sniff of trouble.

"We are keen to get back out there and continue our work as soon as it is considered safe to do so."

Mr Grant met the NTC members while attending a conference organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in London.

He said: "I got to speak to some of the senior people in the national Transitional Council.

"I was keen to make them aware of TTE and what we do.

"I explained what we did and they said that was key to rebuilding Libya and they would be keen to have a British company like ourselves involved.

"Certainly they were very keen to encourage British businesses to get back in and help rebuild the country, initially through the infrastructure."

Although its Libyan operation was the first it had established to be based in the country, with Mr Grant visiting Tripoli on several occasions, it has trained workers from the region for a number of years both at home and in the Tees Valley.

"Firms in Libya are longstanding customers, up to two years ago we were bringing their people to Teesside to train them," Mr Grant added.