WORK at two Lanarkshire steel plants that were mothballed in 2015 but brought back into production last year is being expanded with the reintroduction of another product line, writes Margaret Taylor.

The Dalzell steel plate mill in Motherwell and Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang were bought by metals trading business Liberty House last year after former owner Tata closed them a year earlier, resulting in the loss of 270 jobs.

Liberty restarted the Dalzell plant in September with 120 staff, who have so far been producing plate steel.

Liberty Steel Dalzell managing director Drew McGhie said that adding weathering steel, a heavy-duty product used in the construction of bridges and building facades, means the firm “can ensure a brighter future for our workforce”.

“We’ve started making use of the Clydebridge equipment over recent months but the addition of weathering steel to our range means we will now be using the plant more regularly,” he added.

Dalzell staff will initially operate the Clydebridge plant until demand is sufficient to sustain a permanent workforce there.

Liberty plans to add API grade steel, which can be rolled into oil and gas pipelines at its newly acquired Hartepool site, to the Scottish sites’ range in the near future.