INSTEAD of mothballing the Corus steelworks at Redcar – above – and taking into account all the recent flood devastation in Cumbria with so many bridges washed away, wouldn’t it be a good idea to rebuild these bridges with steel from our own foundries – or is this unthinkable?

Millions of pounds can be called on for foreign aid at the drop of a hat, which we don’t begrudge if it is spent wisely in the right places.

So what about helping our own people for a change, Gordon Brown? Has Redcar to go down the same road as Consett steelworks? Never mind the Iron Lady, she had her day. Now we need an Iron Man.

Irene Littlejohns, Tow Law, Co Durham.