Unions have accused Ford of taking an “economic sledgehammer” to the Welsh economy with its decision to close its Bridgend engine plant in September 2020 with the loss of 1,700 jobs.

Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary, said: “Ford will be taking an economic sledgehammer to the Welsh economy in an act of gross industrial sabotage if it doesn’t urgently reverse these closure plans.”

The union warned of the potential strikes in the event of compulsory redundancies.

Mr Turner added: “The UK is Ford’s biggest European market yet disgracefully doesn’t produce a single vehicle here. If Ford wants to sell vehicles in this country it has a responsibility to maintain a strong manufacturing footprint here, not run off into the sunset to cheaper markets where sales are low but profits high.”

Madeleine Moon, the MP for Bridgend, condemned the decision, saying Ford had received £140m in aid from the Welsh government to support its operations.

“I’m blazing angry on behalf of this workforce and just hope this is not the start of a domino effect of companies leaving," she said.

Peter Hughes, regional secretary for Unite Wales, said that the Welsh government plans to "claw back" the money they have sunk into the plant.