Legendary country clothing business Barbour has provided new jobs for some of the workers made redundant when another leatherworking firm in Tyneside went into liquidation.

Tyneside Leathercrafts was recently forced to close after the number of orders it was taking fell dramatically at the beginning of 2006. It was a firm that had produced a wide range of leather goods, including country clothing and outdoor jackets, military vests, shoulder bags and dog collars.

The former managing director, Bob Askew, said: "It was a very sad decision for a firm which has operated in South Shields for 70 years with some very loyal staff, but we really had no choice."

18 employees were made redundant in the voluntary liquidation. It is reported that half have found work in the local area, some of whom are even still going to be involved in the leatherworking industry.

This is because a number of the ex-Tyneside Leathercrafts workers have been offered various positions at outdoor wear firm Barbour, which is situated very close by. Barbour makes a selection of leather items, including jackets, belts, walking boots and other footwear.