Hopes that the Teesside Cast Products steelmaking site can be saved from closure, keeping thousands of people in work, were boosted on Wednesday by news that the plant has a further month’s orders, extending its life until the end of October.

The announcement from Corus, the plant’s owner, reflects the recent upturn in world demand for steel – the latest orders for the site’s steel slab, an intermediate product sold to steelmakers, are from external sources as well as Corus.