ONE of Europe's biggest demolition firms has revealed details of how it will go about demolishing a defunct North-East cement works.

The scrapping of the Blue Circle plant at Eastgate, in Weardale, owned by French conglomerate Lafarge, will take ten months and will involve the employment of some local people.

Already, four office and canteen staff have been taken on by the London-based demolition outfit, Brown and Mason.

At least a further six general labourers will be required when the giant excavators to be used in the demolition work move in within the next four weeks.

Nick Brown, operations director of Brown and Mason, said: "We regard this as a straightforward job. It's not the first or the biggest cement works we have pulled down."

His company was responsible for the demolition of the Blyth power station, in Northumberland, and three 22-storey office blocks with underground shelters in Masham Street, London.

"All of the component parts at Eastgate have been earmarked for scrap dealers," said Mr Brown.

"The two kilns on the site will be broken down and the concrete transported off the site.

"The only disruption to traffic may occur when we actually move our giant excavators into the dale."

Mr Brown said his specialist crews would "move particularly sensitively" when they started operations at the quarry above the cement works.

Over the years, part of the quarry has been surrounded by fir trees and developed as a nature reserve. Birds like buzzards and oyster catchers have returned there to feed and nest.

Mr Brown said the 400ft-high cement works chimney, which has dominated the Upper Weardale skyline for nearly 40 years, would be demolished with explosives after the rest of the site had been cleared.

Lafarge closed the 37-year-old Eastgate plant two years ago, making 147 workers redundant.