A demolition-threatened historic chimney in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku will now be the centre point of a multi-million pound new shopping complex thanks to the innovation of a Newport-based structural engineering firm.

Cintec™ International has been commissioned to carry out complex structural preservation work on the chimney later this year in a £1m contract.

Built in the 1900s the feature as the focal point of a regeneration project to establish Baku as an up-and-coming centre of commerce and technology.