TVR has sent home 158 of its 250 Blackpool factory staff less than a month from announcing it would be moving production to Europe.

The Transport and General Worker’s Union said there was confusion among the staff.

Andy Robertson, T&G industrial organiser, said: “Personal undertakings by TVR owner Nikolai Smolenski to the T&G have been effectively ripped up.

“There is also confusion as to whether or not those who had been told to go home would be paid or not. There were some rumours that people would be paid but that was not what we have been led to believe.”

TVR said there would be no lay-offs during negotiations with staff a month ago. “Today’s announcement directly contradicts promises by Smolenski that while talks continued to try to save the Blackpool plant no one would face being sent home. There is a lot of anger just now amongst those affected.”

David Oxley, TVR managing director said it needed to prepare for moving production to Europe. "We therefore took the decision to stop production at the optimum point for training and handover, which unfortunately means that we have no further work for production staff.

"We regret we have had to take this decision, but we must remain focused on the future of the company and ready to implement our outsourcing plans quickly," he said.