Jaguar Land Rover to resume some manufacturing after cyber-attack

Jaguar Land Rover has said it will resume some production in the coming days after a cyber-attack forced the carmaker to suspend operations.

Work at its three UK facilities in the West Midlands and Merseyside were halted on 1 September after a cyber-attack the night before.

Previously, the company had said it did not expect production to resume at its facilities until 1 October at the earliest.

A JLR spokesperson said: “Today we are informing colleagues, retailers and suppliers that some sections of our manufacturing operations will resume in the coming days.”

The spokesperson said JLR was continuing work on its recovery following the shutdown.

“We continue to work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the UK Government’s NCSC and law enforcement to ensure our restart is done in a safe and secure manner,” they said.

About 30,000 people are directly employed at the company’s UK plants in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Halewood, and about 100,000 work for firms in the supply chain.

Some of these firms supply parts exclusively to JLR, while others sell components to other carmakers as well.

There have been growing concerns that some of JLR’s suppliers could collapse within a week due to the ongoing shutdown.

Rich Mulligan, 63, a stock control worker at a wheel and tyre facility that supplies JLR told the BBC at the weekend that workers were “really struggling” with the shutdown.

The JLR spokesperson said the comany thanked everyone connected to the manufacturer “for their continued patience, understanding and support.”

The spokesperson continued: “We know there is much more to do but the foundational work of our recovery is firmly underway, and we will continue to provide updates as we progress.”