DEVELOPMENT agency One NorthEast has been accused of turning its back on plans to create hundreds of jobs at the former Blue Circle cement works.

Businessman Terry Simmons said he had wasted five months trying to persuade officials to allow him to take over the Eastgate site, which closed a year ago.

Mr Simmons, who lives three miles from the site in Weardale, said he could create more than 130 jobs through a facility manufacturing waterproof polystyrene blocks, which are used by the construction industry.

Last week he said he had other sites in mind and threatened to walk away from the dale.

However, officials at One NorthEast, which is leading a task force to create jobs in the area, said that the plans had not been properly costed.

Dr John Bridge, chairman of One NorthEast, said: "We need hard financial information from him as to how much this project is going to cost and what sort of public subsidy he would like in order to bring it forward.

"We don't have that information at the present time but we are hopeful it will come to us very quickly and then we can make a decision."

Mr Simmons, who runs Peart Simmons Associates, an overseas development consultancy, said: "Originally, I was told the Eastgate site was available and then told it was not. I have wasted five months and lost money. If I don't get a satisfactory answer, eventually I will take it away."