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The company's chairman and chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, is said to have announced the Japanese firm is deferring all long-term business decisions while it remains "in the dark" about Britain's future relationship with the EU.

Mr Ghosn is quoted by the BBC as saying that the company's investment plans would be put on hold until there was more clarity.

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Related: Sunderland MP to meet with Nissan bosses over firm's Brexit investment freeze

It comes a week after Airbus and BMW both expressed concerns over the progress of Brexit talks.

Airnbus said it could leave the UK and cut thousands of jobs if the UK leaves the single market and customs union without a transition deal.

Nissan employs 7,000 people at its Sunderland plant and supports almost 30,000 more in its supply chain, the vast majority of which is based in the North East.

But Nissan bosses later said the company would "re-evaluate the situation" once the final deal is concluded.

The latest news on Nissan halting its investment plans comes a day after The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) blamed a lack of certainty over the UK's future trading relationship with Europe for a 50% fall in investment in the British motor industry.

The SMMT said Â£347million of investment was earmarked for new models and facilities in the UK in the first half of this year, compared with Â£647.4million in the same period in 2017.

The trade association is calling for the Government to safeguard jobs in the sector and to end the current uncertainty about the UK's future trading relationship with the EU post-Brexit.