Tata Steel has confirmed it will begin the process of selling off its UK plants on Monday including two in the West Midlands.

Up to 1,000 jobs hang in the balance at the two factories in the Black Country with hundreds of other companies in the supply chain also relying on Tata for business.

Tata Steel, part of the Indian conglomerate which owns Jaguar Land Rover, confirmed last month that it planned to pull out of the UK because it was making a loss, reported to be around £1 million a day.

The company runs a coated narrow strip plant in Walsall and a factory in Wednesbury where it makes bright bar alongside several other UK factories including in Port Talbot where around 4,000 people are employed.

Tata Steel has been struggling against a collapse in the price of steel products coupled with high energy costs and climate change policies.

There is no set timeframe on how long the sale process is expected to last.

Business Secretary and Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid held a two-hour meeting with Tata's chairman Cyrus Mistry and other company officials in Mumbai, saying the decision would allow a "reasonable amount of time" for the process to be completed.

The minister stressed the Government wanted to work with any prospective buyer, adding that "a number" of people had already started coming forward.

"I would like to see many more come forward when the formal process begins," he said.

Sanjeev Gupta, the head of the Liberty Group which last year bought parts steel group Caparo in the Black Country, held talks with Mr Javid this week.

The meeting has raised hopes that jobs could be saved, especially at the Port Talbot plant in South Wales.