MERSEYSIDE’S manufacturing sector has suffered plenty of body blows over the last 20 years.

So it is of the greatest concern to hear an official at Jaguar Land Rover – albeit hiding under a cloak of anonymity – suggesting JLR’S Halewood plant could be the next consigned to history.

This is a modern, high production plant with a good record of industrial relations.

Around 2,000 high-quality jobs are dependent upon it, as well as hundreds of others in associated businesses.

JLR owners Tata are locked in talks with the government over millions of pounds in loan guarantees which it believes are vital for the company’s future.

It is to be hoped these suggestions of a plant closing are nothing more than a high-level game of poker, with Tata hoping that such fears will stir Lord Mandelson and his department into action around the table.

What is clear is that the government cannot call such a bluff – the stakes are simply too high.

These are extraordinarily difficult times for the car industry and special measures are required to ensure what is left of the British car industry survives.

No-one would suggest that the government should be profligate with taxpayers’ millions.

It is right and proper that due diligence should be applied to any such requests.

But this should also be balanced against the need to support a prime mover in the Merseyside economy.

We recognised this when we launched our Save JLR campaign alongside our sister titles in Birmingham back in January – it is now time for Whitehall to recognise it, too.