A trio of West Cumbrian firms showed off the power of partnerships to Workington MP Sue Hayman. 

Representatives from Shepley Engineers, Hertel and Amec Foster Wheeler showed Mrs Hayman around West Cumberland Engineering on Joseph Noble Road, Lillyhall, on Friday. 

The firm is a subsidiary of Shepley and carries out fabrication work for the three firms. 

The companies, which employ a total of 1,800 people in West Cumbria, are committed to making sure local people benefit from employment opportunities at Sellafield. 

They form the multi-discipline site wide framework, which means they work together to deliver services at the nuclear site. 

Worth around £20 million a year, it puts the local firms at the forefront of supporting Sellafield's decommissioning work.

Mrs Hayman met with senior managers and directors from the partnership to find out more about it. 

She said: "The work being done is fantastic. It is exactly the sort of encouraging and exciting undertaking that we need in West Cumbria.

"The collaboration between Shepley Engineering Ltd, Hertel UK Ltd and Amec Foster Wheeler appears to be a winning formula.

"Our local engineering businesses are a vital part of our economy and without them, West Cumbria would grind to a halt.

"The future is very bright for the engineering and nuclear sectors here in Workington, and the benefits are there for all to see."

Brian Raby, regional director for Hertel, said: "We have a joint approach to ensure that employment opportunities are available to the local community thereby creating a legacy with associated positive benefits in areas where we work.

"The success of this approach is monitored where key targets are used to demonstrate tangible year-on-year improvements."