It is exactly a year since Viasystems' electronic circuit-board operation on Tyneside went into administration.

Hundreds of jobs were lost on North Tyneside and at South Shields, and hundreds of former workers are still campaigning for pay.

A group of ex-employees released a thousand balloons at South Shields town hall on Tuesday to mark the closure, one for each employee who lost their job.

Payments freeze

The company is a subsidiary of United States-based Viasystems Group Inc.

Its parent company, which is based in the US, has recently applied for voluntary bankruptcy.

This effectively puts a freeze on any payments to ex-employees.

Earlier this year unions called on George W Bush to support them and back his recent speeches about American corporate responsibility.

In a letter sent to the White House, the union asked him to force the parent company to pay the money to the former workers.