A BUSINESSMAN'S bid to keep the North-East Blue Circle cement plant open looks doomed.

Angus Ward wants to buy the Eastgate works, in Weardale, County Durham, where 147 people face losing their jobs later this year.

But its owner, the French conglomerate Lafarge, insists that cement making will cease at the site.

Mr Ward, of Wolsingham, who runs Ward Brothers Plant Hire, says he fronts a consortium interested in the plant as a going concern.

He said: "It is absolute sacrilege that they can wipe this factory off the face of the earth.

"It has a good workforce, there is a mineral reserve for 20 to 30 years, the staff are skilled and the infrastructure is there.

"The country imports 1.5m tonnes of cement and I feel that Weardale could have a share of that market."

But he said the company had been "negative" about the idea and wanted to return the plant to a greenfield site.

Weardale's Independent Durham county councillor John Shuttleworth, who is fighting to save the plant, said: "It would pay Lafarge to sell it for £1. If they have to put it back to a greenfield site it would cost them £10m to £14m."

Coun Shuttleworth, who has requested a meeting with Lafarge chairman and chief executive Bertrand Collumb, said: "The important thing is to get these people round the table."

Durham County Council leader Ken Manton, who was unaware of the discussions, said: "The sale of the plant as a going concern would be the best way of protecting jobs currently at risk and ensuring the best use of the workforce's skills."

Blue Circle's operations director Rob Davies said speculation about a rescue bid was creating uncertainty. "That is just not fair on our employees.

"The decision to close the factory was only made after thorough consideration. The site will not continue as a cement-making operation."

A multi-agency task force set up by Durham County Council to help find the workers new jobs will meet for the first time next week.

l Meanwhile, in another blow to the region's manufacturing workforce, Thrislington Quarry in Ferryhill, County Durham is to axe a dozen jobs, citing a drop in demand for its products from the country's steel manufacturers.

The company, which is also owned by Lafarge, said some of the redundancies from the 56-strong workforce were voluntary. The cuts have been made from office staff, craftsmen, laboratory staff and management