Japanese carmaker Honda will be letting go hundreds of temporary staff at its Swindon factory due to an "industry-wide decline" in the sale of diesel vehicles, reports BBC News. Honda denied the move was "as a result of Brexit" and "is in line with our current production plans". It added that production volumes at the site would reduce to 570 cars per day. Meanwhile, Trade union Unite estimated about 500 staff would be affected. Honda employs about 3,400 people in Swindon.

In a statement, Honda said, “As a result of the reduction in production volumes, we have reviewed our resource requirements for the remainder of this financial year, and the following year, and confirmed the end dates of some employees on fixed-term contracts. This reduction in volume will not have any impact on our permanent resource levels, and is in line with our current production plans.” A spokesman for Unite said the union had been given assurances the production line in Swindon was not moving to Japan, but added that staff were concerned.