PAUL TASKER is proud of the part he has played in getting the new Astra into production – and securing the future of Ellesmere Port.

Mr Tasker, 52, of Walton, was one of the 82-strong project team pulled together by Vauxhall two years ago to prepare the Cheshire plant to build the new Astra.

After visiting Korea and Germany, he returned to the Cheshire plant to help train workers to build the new car.

“Getting the new Astra was a great boost for the plant,” he said. “It was great for morale.”

Mr Tasker said he and his colleagues tried not to worry about the ongoing sale of Vauxhall, and about the reported threats to jobs at Ellesmere Port.

He said he hoped a deal could be done as soon as possible, and said Ellesmere Port staff would do all they could to secure the plant’s future.

“All we do is carry on the way we are doing, producing great quality cars at the lowest possible cost,” he said. “We cannot afford to take our eye off the ball.”

Ellesmere Port has already started building new Astras, but the plant will not get up to full production speed of 40 cars an hour for another few weeks.

Mr Tasker and his team will then begin getting the plant ready for the new Astra estate, which goes into full production next year. And he hopes there will be more similar projects to come as Ellesmere Port wins the right to build more cars.