FEARS for the future of the Merseyside Jaguar Land Rover factory today met with a wall of silence.
Both car firm bosses and union leaders refused to comment on claims the Halewood plant and its 2,000 workers are at risk.
Rumours surfaced on Friday that TATA - Jaguar Land Rover's parent company - had made contingency plans to sacrifice the Halewood factory.
It is thought the move would secure the future of Birmingham's Jaguar plant and the Land Rover factory in Solihull.
Tata bosses are thought to be frustrated by delays in the arrival of a £340m loan, held up by the Government in a row over the way the company will be run.
But a Jaguar spokesman today said the company would not be commenting on the speculation.
Tony Woodley, Unite's Merseyside-born general secretary, also refused to comment, saying he did not want to fuel rumours of which he did not know the origin.
Tata reported losses of £267m last year, compared to a £388m profit the previous year.
