Last of Redcar steelworks demolished for Teesworks site

The final structures from a "landmark" steelworks have been demolished.

Redcar's power station buildings, including gas holder and chimney, which provided electricity to the town's former blast furnace were brought down at 13:00 BST.

They have been pulled down to make way for the Teesworks development.

Lord Michael Heseltine pushed the button to start the four controlled explosions, which could be heard across the area.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said it was a "bittersweet day".

The clearing of the 4,500-acre (1,800 hectare) site, to make way for the UK's largest freeport, has been taking place since 2021.

Industrial landmarks including the blast furnace site, which dominated the skyline since the 1970s, and Dorman Long Tower have been razed to the ground.

The final demolition now means work to "remediate" the land can begin, Mr Houchen said.

He added: "It's mixed feelings for me but also for the community to see the end of one era, but the start of a new one."

The Conservative mayor said it was creating a "new dawn" at Teesworks as part of his plans to bring investors to create "well-paid and skilled jobs".

Following the steelworks' closure in 2015, the government appointed the former deputy prime minister, Mr Heseltine, to review how the area would be regenerated.

He set out the creation of the South Tees Development Corporation, which has been rebranded as Teesworks.

Mr Heseltine said he thought the site would be a "huge innovation".

He added: "What is now still a development site, very shortly you're going to see stuff coming out of the ground, and this is going to transform the future of Teesside."

Middlesbrough's Labour MP Andy McDonald said it was time to "look forward to the new era."

"We've had one that provided great prosperity for the people of Teesside, we've now got to embrace the opportunities that are available to us in of green industries and renewable power, and all that goes with it," he said.

Last month, the government said it would carry out an independent inquiry into Labour MPs' claims millions of pounds of public assets had been transferred to developers at Teesworks.

After the demolition, Mr Heseltine said he ed an inquiry.

Mr Houchen said that he believed the outcome of the review would show "the truth in black and white", adding that he was "very much looking forward to that".

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