Nissan is considering plans to cut back production line shifts at its Sunderland plant in the latest setback to the UK car industry, Sky News understands.

If the Japanese carmaker goes ahead with the plan it could result in 400 jobs being threatened, Sky sources say.

The Nissan proposals would see the number of shifts on a production line making Qashqai and Leaf vehicles reduced from three to two.

A Nissan spokesman told Sky News that it was "rumour or speculation".

It comes weeks after Sky News revealed that Nissan would not make its new X-Trail model in Sunderland - Britain's biggest car plant - as previously planned.


That decision was blamed on emissions regulations and reduced sales forecasts, while the company added that uncertainty around Brexit was "not helping".

The latest development comes as BMW warns it may have to stop Mini production from the UK in the event of a no-deal departure from the EU.

Image: The Nissan car plant in Sunderland employs 7,000 staff

More than three million Qashqais have been produced since it was launched in 2008, with the car being Nissan's most successful model ever in Europe.

The Leaf is an electric car that the Japanese manufacturer launched in 2010.

Nissan told its Sunderland staff in February that the company will not make the new X-Trail there, as had been previously planned.

The manufacturer's Europe division boss Gianluca de Ficchy said the decision was a mixture of investment needed for emissions regulations and reduced sales forecasts.

He added uncertainty over Brexit had also played a part.

It emerged that business secretary had previously offered Nissan up to £80m of "support" in a series of Brexit assurances before it committed to building new models in Sunderland.

The revelation was contained in a letter Greg Clark wrote to the-now ex-chairman of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, as the company pondered its investment in the UK in 2016 after the EU referendum.

Nissan confirmed days later it would build the new Qashqai and X-Trail models in the North East city.

Japanese carmaker Honda is set to close its Swindon plant in 2022, dealing a devastating blow to its 3,500-strong workforce.