UP TO 2,700 British Steel jobs were put at risk as the company began consulting its workforce today on closing its two blast furnaces at Scunthorpe in June.

Community, the GMB and Unite urged the government to help secure the future of British Steel following the “devastating” announcement.

The company’s Chinese owner, Jingye, said that negotiations for capital investment from the government in two new electric arc furnaces (EAFs) had failed.