NICK Cragg (pictured), the boss at the helm at Llanwern steelworks when the axe was wielded ending steel making at the plant, has left the works for a new position in England.

And unions say they are now seeking to forge close links with the new man brought in to replace Mr Cragg.

Mr Cragg, former managing director of Corus Strip Products, leaves shortly after the fate of the 1,340 Corus workers' fate was finally sealed and the 'heavy end' closed.

He is replaced by Dr Mark Carr, who joined the then British Steel as a graduate trainee in 1986.

Dr Carr, who has held a series of high profile positions within Corus both in the UK and abroad, is no stranger to either Llanwern or Port Talbot and is highly regarded within the business and locally.

Mr Cragg has taken up the position of managing director, engineering steels based at Rotherham which is being viewed in some quarters at least as a sideways move.

Corus axed its steel- making capacity at Llanwern with the loss of 1,340 direct jobs and is also closing down its separate tinplate works at Ebbw Vale with the loss of almost 800 jobs.

A total of 1,140 jobs were lost with the closure of the heavy end and a further 200 jobs, 100 each from the hot and cold rolling mills, were lost.

The current Llanwern workforce, which includes a handful working on the remaining coke battery due to close in the new year, numbers 1,325 across all disciplines.

Alan Brown, mechanical convenor at Llanwern for the Amalgamated Electrical and Engineering Union (AEEU) said: "Dr Carr is not unknown to us and we feel we will be able to work with him in taking the business forward after what has been a pretty traumatic experience for us (at Llanwern) over the past year.

"We need to rebuild the confidence of the workforce that we have left here at Llanwern. Mr Brown said: "There is little doubt that the heads are down at the moment around the plant and we need to get the confidence back as we go forward - it is a tough time for everyone. We welcome the appointment of Dr Carr."