More job casualties in the UK as Ford plans to close two plants in the UK in 2013 with the estimated loss of 1400 jobs.

Southampton will see the closure of the plant responsible for the manufacture of the Transit Van, with the Dagenham stamping factory, who are also involved in Transit construction, losing 900 jobs.

The closures are part of a European restructuring announced this week, with a large plant in Belgium also shutting down, with 4,300 jobs going in Genk.

Ford are seeing much stronger growth in their North American factories and are trying to repeat the success here in Europe, where the economic recovery is lagging and these closures are part of their overall  recovery strategy for the group.