FILM star Richard Griffiths has joined The Northern Echo's campaign to make steel giant Corus think again about its plans to axe thousands of jobs.

The Cleveland-born star slammed a decision by Corus to axe jobs in Wales and Teesside as "wicked".

The celebrity, who was born in Thornaby, Stockton, said: "So, what do I think about the recent announcement from Corus? I'll tell you in two words: it stinks.''

The star of the hit series Pie in the Sky said the Anglo-Dutch combine was typical of Britain's experience of foreign firm intervention.

"They have abandoned their British workers to spit on their loyalty, lives and ambitions," he told The Northern Echo.

"The social devastation they leave behind is something they can make sympathetic noises about, but no more.

"No doubt the decision by the Dutch directors of Corus to axe 6,000 jobs on Teesside and in South Wales will be presented as a sad but unavoidable example of modern commercial reality. It is nothing of the kind.

"The only reason that this wicked scale of job losses is happening at all is that the bosses of Corus are confident that in Britain they can get away with it. In Holland they could not," he said.

The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation last night called on other Teesside-born celebrities to follow the Shakespearian actor's example in speaking out.

Bernard Pike, senior organiser for the northern division of the ISTC, said: "What I would like to see are other prominent people with roots in the steel community coming forward and making their opinions known.

"The more prominent people make their feelings known the more possibilities we have of a change in Government policy.

"What Mr Griffiths says will strike a sympathetic note with our members. Their feeling is they are the poor relations of the situation.'