POLITICIANS and business leaders must work together to save the UK's crumbling manufacturing sector, a senior union figure has said.

Kevin Curran, general secretary of the GMB union, challenged the Government to build a better climate for industry.

He threw down the gauntlet on the day that research commissioned by the GMB showed a manufacturing job was lost every two minutes of the working day last year.

The report said the North-East lost 3,556 jobs, while Yorkshire and Humberside lost 5,407.

Mr Curran, a former GMB North-East regional secretary, said: "UK manufacturing is in crisis as the outsourcing phenomenon continues to drain jobs and livelihoods from our heartlands.

"We cannot continue to hold our hands up as jobs leave our shores for Europe and Asia. We have the skills, capacity and experience in the UK to keep these jobs.

"All we need is the determination from chief executives and the Government to ensure that our manufacturing sector can thrive. Without that, manufacturing will continue to crumble and weaken the entire UK economy."

Thousands of jobs were "exported" to countries with cheaper labour costs, including China, Thailand and Hungary, the report said.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the number of manufacturing jobs in the UK has fallen to a record low of 3.4 million.

The North-East was rocked by a number of high-profile closures last year.

In January, J Barbour and Sons closed its Crook plant, laying off 87 workers. The following month, Vertex closed its chipboard plant in Shildon, making 120 staff redundant.

In March, Ohmega Electronics in Bishop Auckland closed and 80 staff were laid off, and the closure of Warner Electric in the town cost 70 jobs.

Warner's collapse had a knock-on effect on solenoid manufacturer Mechetronics, which rented space from the company. Mechetronics shed 40 jobs but has now bought premises on the South Church Industrial Estate, near Bishop Auckland.

Torrington, in Darlington, was also closed in March, and 104 jobs were lost.

In Newton Aycliffe, Sloman Engineering shed 100 jobs the following month and TKA Tallent Chassis announced 50 redundancies.

In May, Sarah Lee Courtaulds said 350 posts would go in Peterlee, County Durham, and Tindale Crescent, Bishop Auckland. Thorn Lighting, in Spennymoor, also County Durham, axed 95 workers.

In June, cigarette maker British American Tobacco announced it was closing its Darlington plant with the loss of 490 staff.

In October, engineering firm Aker Kvaerner announced 80 job losses in Stockton, and LG Philips last month announced 37 redundancies at its television screen plant in Durham.