NISSAN sent thousands of workers home early last night after bringing forward the Christmas shutdown at its North-East factory.

The Japanese company decided to stop production a week early in response to the downturn in car sales across Europe.

Although production had been due to finish yesterday, the company had planned to use the run-up to Christmas for staff training.

But last night it told all 4,000 workers to stay at home on full pay.

The decision came as Jaguar Land Rover bosses continued to plead their case for Government help.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson confirmed talks had been taking place with the group’s Indian parent company, Tata.

He said car companies could not expect an “open cheque book” despite the seriousness of the situation.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed the number of cars built in the UK last month was 97,604, down by 33 per cent on last year.

Nearly 1.4 million cars have been built so far this year, a 2.7 per cent fall.

Nissan’s Sunderland plant is the UK’s biggest and most productive plant. Since it opened in 1986, more than five million cars have been made there. Last year, 353,000 vehicles rolled off the production lines.

But since the autumn, the company has been forced to slow manufacturing – suspending production of less popular models such as the Micra and switching staff to training instead.

About 480 temporary workers may not have their contracts renewed next month and management admitted plans are still being put in place for next year when demand for new cars is expected to slump further.

Nissan’s Sunderland factory is uniquely placed to meet the future because it has the flexibility to make more than one model on a single production line.

Company bosses are believed to be examining ways of extending that flexibility, both to save money and boost productivity.

Unions – which have so far praised Nissan for the way it has treated its employees – said they had not been consulted over the early shutdown, and would be seeking a meeting with management early in the new year.

The company has repeatedly said it is not planning any redundancies from its permanent workforce.

A spokeswoman said: “We have decided that instead of holding training days, we would send staff home. They will return on January 5 after the planned Christmas shutdown.”

The early shutdown at the factory is the latest move to prevent over-production by Nissan – which saw a 41 per cent drop in group profits to £803m for the six months to September – after it first announced it had succumbed to the downturn in the industry in October.