BOSSES at car giant Nissan are remaining tight-lipped over reports 400 jobs are at risk at its North-East plant, which have been described ‘hugely worrying’ if true.

The Japanese firm said it would not comment on ‘rumour and speculation’ after Sky News claimed it was planning to cut back production line shifts at its Sunderland plant.

The broadcaster claimed sources have said Nissan’s proposals would see the number of shifts on a production line making Qashqai and Leaf vehicles reduced from three to two.

Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, said: “If true, these reports are hugely worrying.

“It must be stressed that currently they are based on rumours and speculation and can’t be confirmed.

“I am doing all I can to find out more information.

“I know that many of my constituents, and the thousands of people who work at the plant in Washington or its supply chain will be concerned.”

It comes weeks after it was revealed that Nissan would not make its new X-Trail model in Sunderland, Britain's biggest car plant, which employs over 7,000 people, as previously planned.

Ms Hodgson said: “I raised concerns around the challenges facing Nissan and the automotive industry on a number of occasions in recent weeks, with both Greg Clark MP with the Prime Minister.

“Unfortunately, I received no assurances from them.

“I will be following this situation closely over the coming hours and days.”

Unite, the trade union representing Nissan workers on Wearside, has said it is investigating the reports, which, if accurate, will be the latest heavy blow for the UK automotive industry.

Before Christmas Nissan said a no-deal Brexit would have ‘serious implications’ for its operations in the region and similar stark warnings have just been issued by Toyota and BMW.

The future of the Mini factory at Cowley, near Oxford, would be thrown into doubt if there is a no-deal scenario, parent company BMW said.

The German firm said production of Minis could be moved to Holland if the UK crashed out of the European Union without a deal on March 29.

And Toyota warned that a no-deal Brexit would make it "extremely complicated" for the Japanese firm to build new models in the UK.

Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, Graham Biggs, corporate communications director of BMW Group UK, said he could not give "any guarantees as to the future of the Oxford plant".

He said: "In the event of a no-deal Brexit, some or all of the production of the Mini could be moved to Holland where we have a plant.

"We need frictionless trade and a no-deal Brexit will not give us that from what we can see.

"Nothing is certain. I cannot give any guarantees as to the future of the Oxford plant. No company can.

"I cannot make any promises to the workers because at the moment we just don't know. But what I can say is we are heavily invested in the UK."

Meanwhile, Didier Leroy, chairman of Toyota's European operations, said a no-deal outcome to EU withdrawal talks would be "terrible" and would create "big additional challenges" to UK operations' competitiveness.

His comments came after Honda announced that it is closing its plant in Swindon, with the loss of 3,500 jobs from 2021.

Toyota began production of its new hybrid-powered Corolla model at its plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire, in January.

Mr Leroy told the Financial Times that the £240 million investment in the model was made on ‘significant trust in the UK that they would be able to achieve a good deal in Europe’.

He stressed that Toyota had ‘no plan today to withdraw from the UK and stop production’.

But he added: "If we don't have access to the European market without a specific border tax, it seems to be extremely complicated to think about the introduction of another model."

Mr Leroy told the FT: "No-deal is terrible, it will create big additional challenges to keep competitiveness."

He said Parliament had "to decide what's best for employment" when voting next week on whether to leave without a deal, urging MPs: "Don't create a huge mountain."