UNIONS vowed to “never stop fighting” for Port Talbot jobs, as Tata Steel began shutting its final blast furnace today.

In a devastating blow to communities in south Wales, nearly 2,000 jobs will be lost at the plant in the coming months, and thousands more in the wider community that relies on the steelworks.

Tata Steel UK chief executive Rajesh Nair said the company wants a “brighter, greener future” in low-carbon scrap-based steel-making, with the move expected to secure 5,000 jobs across Britain.