Former workers at a steel mill which closed nearly three years ago staged a show of support for its potential reopening.

Last month, we reported how a consortium from Ukraine was said to be in talks to buy the former Thamesteel site in Brielle Way, Sheerness, and reopen part of the business, potentially creating hundreds of jobs.

Community Union, which represented many of the 350 employees who lost their jobs in the closure in January 2012, organised the get together.

About a dozen gathered outside the entrance this morning to send a message to the prospective owners that former workers are ready to return should it start back up again.

Branch secretary Pat Wiggins said: “It’s pretty obvious the mill is going to open considering the amount of work going on and people that have been working in the plant have told me they are working on pumps and whatever.

“We know it’s going to start. All we want to do is to show the new investor or owner that we have a very experienced workforce ready to go.

“If they want to compete with the best in the world, you have got to have an experienced workforce.”

MP Gordon Henderson says he has been involved in discussions which would see the site reopen as a rolling mill, with billets imported through Sheerness Docks.

This would not involve steel production returning again and would not involve restarting the furnace.

He said negotiations are still in a “delicate” state and nothing has been confirmed yet.

Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Guy Nicholson, who was at the show of support, said: “The new owner of Sheerness steel mill will quite understandably seek out the best deal for his investment and this will include the men and women who will run the mill for him.

“We have an experienced workforce ready to re start production in Sheerness tomorrow morning.”