SUCH is the scale of the disaster facing Corus on Teesside that the positive news of last night comes as a real glimmer of hope for the families whose lives depend on the steel industry.

With 1,700 jobs at risk, the announcement that 120 are to be preserved for at least three years at the South Bank Coke Ovens has to be seen in context.

There remains a long way to go before the fight is won – but at least it is a start.

As well as being great news for those 120 families directly affected, it also sends a message to every other employee that all is not yet lost.

Hopefully, the new three-year contract to supply coke to other steel plants will turn into something more substantial as the economy strengthens.

In addition, the decision to postpone the partial mothballing of Teesside Cast Products, from the end of this month to the end of February, is a further optimistic sign.

At this critical stage, any extra time to secure a buyer must be welcomed – and used productively.

The first edition of The Northern Echo in 2010 led its front page with the Prime Minister’s pledge to personally intervene in a last-ditch effort to save the Corus jobs on Teesside.

We have yet to see evidence of Gordon Brown’s personal intervention, but last night’s developments show that the campaign to save steelmaking on Teesside has life in it yet.

The pressure must be kept on the Government to ensure everything possible is done to build on the relatively small – but important – steps forward which have been taken in the past 24 hours.