Vauxhall has suspended production at its Ellesmere Port and Luton plants for one week in order to prevent a build-up of stock.

The manufacturer made the decision in reaction to the fall in European new car sales.

In a statement Vauxhall said: “At our manufacturing operations we are addressing market fluctuations as they occur, upturns with extra shifts, downturns with down days.

"This is normal working practice in order to match supply with demand - vehicles are built to customer order not for stock."