Tata Steel says 720 UK jobs could become redundant

Tata Steel said 720 British jobs could become redundant in its speciality and bar business, which is being refocused on high-value markets such as aerospace.

Most of the jobs at risk are at the company's Rotherham-based business, which has been underperforming because of cut-price steel imports into Britain, and electricity costs which are more than double those of key European competitors.

Tata Steel said it would work closely with those at risk and with their trade union representatives to redeploy employees and minimise the number of compulsory redundancies.