A long-running legal dispute concerning the future of Thamesteel has come to an end, but there is still no news about what happens next.

The mill in Brielle Way, Sheerness, closed on January 25 last year, leaving 350 people without jobs or a month’s wages.

Former owners the Al-Tuwairqi Group (ATG) took it back over a year ago last month and renamed it Sheerness Steel.

Things were held up because of a legal battle about ownership of the assets between Peel Land and Property, which owns the site, and ATG.

The judgement on the hearing, which took place at the High Court of Justice, was released last month and it ruled in favour of Sheerness Steel.

This means it is entitled to take the removable assets from the premises, including equipment such as the arc furnace, rolling mill and most of the cranes.

The company can now either resume steel making if they can find an investor or strip out the equipment.

However, MP Gordon Henderson says he is unsure if they are entitled to do this, because he understands the terms of the lease are that the assets need to remain so it would be a breach of the contract to remove them.

A spokesman for Sheerness Steel said it is still digesting the results of the court case and has arranged a meeting with Peel to discuss the way forward.

The Times Guardian contacted Peel to see what it plans to do now and clarify the position of the lease, but they declined to comment.

Mr Henderson said: “I’m pleased the legal ownership of the fixed assets at the Sheerness steel works has finally been decided.

“ATG has always said they want to resume steel making at the plant, but could not attract investors because of the ownership question.

“There was a strong suspicion ATG planned to strip out the arc furnace and rolling mill and ship it overseas.

“Although ATG has always denied this was their intention, I must admit I shared that suspicion.

“I very much hope that ATG are able to attract an investor and I am ready and willing to work with them to achieve that goal.”

Mr Henderson also hopes to meet with Peel to discuss its future, including the issue of the multi-million pound cost to decontaminate the land.