GREEN MEP Molly Scott Cato said it was a terrible day for Honda workers and their families.

She linked the jobs cut to Brexit. However, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson claims the decision was a result of falling diesel sales.

Dr Scott Cato said: “If true, this news represents a terrible day for the 3,500 workers at the Swindon plant and their families and my thoughts are with them at this worrying time.

"Concerns about businesses leaving the UK in the event of Brexit were expressed before the referendum and since the Brexit result. Japanese manufacturing businesses have been quite clear about the risk to their business model from leaving the customs union. But a decision to close a state-of-the-art factory with the sunk costs it represents is still a shocking one.

“This is the day that will be remembered as the day project fear became Brexit reality, the day when the true scale of the social and economic costs of leaving the EU hit hard in the South West. A majority in Swindon voted to leave the EU based on promises that their jobs were safe. Now that we know what Brexit means in reality they, and we all, have a right to think again.”