SCORES of jobs could be at risk after a steel firm announced it is selling seven UK plants, including one in Witham.

Liberty Steel Group has placed its Aluminium Technologies business up for sale, which operates the Witham plant on Freebourne Industrial Estate, meaning 66 jobs could be lost.

Sales also include the company's largest UK site, its aerospace and special alloys business at Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, where 762 people currently work.

Liberty first acquired the 15,000sqm Witham site in 2017 from automotive component manufacturer Amtek UK after it went into administration.

The near collapse of Liberty came after its major lender, Greensill, went into administration in March.

The company will also try to sell its manufacturing facilities in Brinsworth, South Yorkshire, and in West Bromwich.

The plants for sale employ about 1,500 people in total.

Labour is now calling for the Government to step in.

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said: “It’s absolutely vital the Government and Liberty secure legal assurances that the Stocksbridge plant, which is a British asset supplying our aerospace and defence industries and providing good jobs, will remain open and the workforce will be protected.

“Crucially we also need assurances about all of Liberty’s other plants.

“The Government must show it has a plan B to protect the long-term future of our steel industry, including at Liberty – and public ownership must remain an option on the table.”

Liberty said on Monday that it could protect thousands of jobs by restructuring the business.

By selling, Liberty hopes it can focus on scaling up its plant in Rotherham to make two million tonnes of green steel.

It said: “The plant will make use of some of the millions of tonnes of steel scrap currently exported by the UK to make more of the quality steel needed in the UK, which is currently being imported."

The announcement follows a weekend of meetings in Dubai between GFG founder Sanjeev Gupta, once hailed as the hope of UK steel, and Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

The two sides have reached a so-called standstill agreement over Liberty Primary Metals Australia.