Unions call for £200m from government to keep two Scunthorpe steel furnaces open

They say the support for British Steel's transition to electric replacement is needed to prevent immediate job losses

British Steel should get an extra 200m from the government to support it in keeping the UK's two remaining blast furnaces open until electric replacements are built, according to a proposal put forward by unions.

Chinese-owned British Steel has said it will replace its polluting blast furnaces at Scunthorpe with electric arc furnaces, which can be used to make much cleaner, recycled steel.