MORE than 500 workers at Teesside's British Energy plant are awaiting the outcome of crisis talks with the Government.

The troubled energy group has asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for financial support after the group ran into difficulties with falling electricity prices and technical problems at its stations.

Earlier this year, the company reported full-year losses of almost £500m.

Union leaders are now seeking urgent talks with the company and Government representatives for assurances that the crisis will not lead to job losses among the 5,200 staff nationally.

The loss-making group has warned the Government it could face insolvency if it did not receive immediate financial assistance.

Shares were immediately suspended in the group, which operates eight power stations across the UK.

Hartlepool's British Energy plant, which supplies four per cent of the UK's electricity - enough to generate sufficient heat and light for every house in Hartlepool - was yesterday facing an uncertain future.

A spokesman for the plant yesterday said it was "business as usual" and declined to comment further.

Dave Harrison, the North-East representative of Amicus, the electronic workers union, said: "There is great concern among the members at Hartlepool.

"Although we are aware of the problems nationally, it is out of our hands in a sense - it is being dealt with on a national level.

"The unions are actively involved in the situation in order to get some sort of security regarding jobs."

His concerns were echoed by the union's national officer Dougie Rooney.

He said yesterday: "Obviously, we are worried about the possible impasse on jobs, but we believe the business is too important to the infrastructure of the country for it to go under."

He said recent regulation on the industry had been too punitive and something had to give to relieve the pressure on companies.

He said: "The Government cannot simply keep on saying the customer has to benefit because the industry is now being squeezed and benefits will not be passed on."

The DTI says no "blank cheques" would be handed to the firm, whose shares have slumped from 700p to just over 80p in the past three years.

The company will receive no help from environmental campaigners. A Greenpeace spokesman said: "The Government should resist the temptation to bail out this company because Britain would be better without British Energy's creaking nuclear power stations.

"Any money the Government has should go to support renewable energy not nuclear power, which has failed despite 50 years of government support.