THREE women at Lafarge Cement's Weardale works tackled a training course in forklift operating to help them find jobs when the works closes.

They are among the 147 workers affected by the closure of the former Blue Circle plant - the main production process is due to end there on August 9.

Lafarge has been working to give its employees as many options for the future as possible, including ensuring they have new and relevant skills to help them get a job and, for those transferring within Lafarge, skills that they will be able to apply at their new locations.

The company is running a special training course to enable any of its Weardale employees to gain recognised Construction Industry Training Board qualifications in driving and operating mobile equipment.

The women who took part in the course were: Julie Gibbon, Catherine Stephenson and Angela Graham, who work in administration or the laboratories at the works.

Speaking after the course, Ms Stephenson said: "It was great to learn a new skill. It can only help as we are now getting down to looking for local jobs in earnest."

More than 40 of Lafarge's Weardale team have successfully applied for jobs at the company's other UK operations. The majority will transfer to their new factories and depots after August 9.

Three staff have already moved to start work at a new Seaham depot - five drivers will transfer there at the end of this month.