Vauxhall van deal secures Luton jobs

The next generation of Vauxhall's Vivaro van is to be built at its Luton factory, safeguarding the plant and 1,500 jobs. There had been fears the site could close if the current contract between Vauxhall and Renault was not renewed when it runs out in 2013.

Unite said it was "fantastic news" which had ended uncertainty over jobs. Vauxhall said the Luton plant will continue to play an "important role" in the company's manufacturing network. Luton is the last volume manufacturer of commercial vans left in the UK and Unite said it will produce 62,000 units a year.