UK car factories hit by tragedy in Japan

Honda and Nissan have been forced to slow or stop production in their UK factories after component shortages, caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The natural disaster in the manufacturers' home country has meant that there were not enough parts being produced to sustain production at normal levels.

Honda announced that production at its Swindon factory will be halved, while Nissan's Sunderland factory will suspend production for three days from April 26.

The impact on staff and customers will be minimised by bringing forward three non-productive days that were planned for later in the year, says Nissan.

Honda halves production
Honda has cut production by half in an attempt to minimise the losses caused by the disruption of supplies to its Swindon factory.

Managers at the plant, which builds the Civic, CR-V and Jazz models, hope that the disruption doesn't last too long, with a company spokeswoman saying that: 'It's an ongoing assessment. We are looking at returning to 100% production at the end of May, but sooner if possible.'

Workers at the Swindon factory will continue to be paid at usual levels during the shutdown period.

Ken Keir, executive vice-president of Honda Europe, said: 'We appreciate everyone being so understanding during these challenging times.'

See also: Will Japan halt production line?