The loss of more than 140 jobs at Caparo steel plants in Dudley, Oldbury and Cradley Heath has been met with shock and dismay by workers, union leaders and MPs.

Administrators who had been trying to salvage the steel giant's businesses in the West Midlands announced the closure of Caparo Forging Europe, in Netherton, wielding the axe for 64 staff - with a further 68 people put out of work at Caparo Precision Tubes in Oldbury and 10 at Cradley Heath based CMT Engineering.

They are among a total of 323 Caparo jobs lost across the West Midlands - and 450 across the UK.

Staff at the affected sites were called to meetings with the administrators from PwC on Friday to be told they were being laid off immediately.

Matt Hammond, partner and lead administrator at PwC said: "It is with regret that we have made these decisions but the commercial prospects of the affected businesses render them unviable."

He added that the adminstrators would work closely with the axed staff, their representatives and agencies to make sure their redundancy and other claims were handled efficiently "at this difficult time."

Caparo Precision Tubes at Oldbury and CMT Engineering at Cradley Heath continue to operate, despite job losses, and remaining staff there continue to work and be paid as normal.

But "regrettably" Caparo Forging Europe at Dudley had closed immediately.

Dudley South MP Mike Wood, commenting on the closure of Caparo Forging Europe, in Marriott Road, Netherton, said: "This is terrible news for all the workers affected and bad news for the wider community.

"It's essential that everything possible is done to make sure everybody affected gets support to find new job opportunities or training.

"We knew Caparo was in serious trouble - it now looks as though the company has been carrying an unsustainable level of debt which was affecting operations.

"But it's a shock when we lose a historic firm like this one."

Mr Wood is writing to Business Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to make sure an "appropriate package" is available to support the axed workers from Netherton and the wider Black Country.

He had already organised a jobs fair at the Waterfront, Brierley Hill, on November 12, from 12 noon to 6pm, and urged those put out of work at Caparo to attend to meet local employers face to face to explore opportunities available.

Gerard Coyne, West Midlands regional secretary for union Unite, the Caparo job losses were "a further blow to the region's manufacturing base."

He added: "We will be doing everything in our power to support our members in the West Midlands and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those affected aren't left high and dry.

"Unite will also be working closely with the administrators to secure the futures of our members at the remaining Caparo sites in the region."

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris said: "This is obviously devastating news for the workers at the Caparo factories.

"We need to do everything we can to make sure that these workers can find alternative employment quickly, especially given the high demand for skilled workers in the Black Country.

"I will be working with the Jobcentre, the business department and representatives of Midlands Steel Taskforce to ensure that help is provided for those affected.

"In the past week I have met with the Business Secretary and government offricials to urge them to do all they can for those affected by the Caparo administration and will continue to press for practical solutions."

West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge said he was "dismayed following devastating news" of the job losses across the region.

Mr Etheridge, who spent 20 years in the steel industry, accused the government of failing to stand up for Britain, saying the country was being "smothered" by EU climate change legislation, green levies and "cheap steel from China being dumped on to the market".

Together with high energy costs the nation's steel industry was being destroyed, he added.

The UKIP MEP said: "Our British steel industry is under major threat from a number of factors that are sadly making it anti-competitive.we trade with the world unshackled by EU legislation that makes us anti-competitive.

"Only by leaving the EU can we trade with the world unshackled by EU legislation that makes us anti-competitive.

"Our government is failing Britain and its steel industry."