Workers first heard site was closing on TV news

STUNNED Swindon workers learned of the closure on the news and social media.

Dave Shep wrote on Facebook: ‘First I’ve heard and I’ve worked there for 19 years.

‘Announced on national news channels before loyal employees told – shocking, shame on you Honda.’

Dave Durston added: ‘Oh dear! If this is true, it will be devastating to Swindon employment, it’s not just the 3,500 that work for Honda, there’s at least double that amount that work for subsidiary companies that supply parts and materials.’

One Honda worker last night said the company had still not told staff anything.

‘We found out on social media,’ he told the BBC.

‘The reaction has been terrible – lots of people have children, us included. It leaves us out of a job.’

On Twitter, one user claiming to be a plant worker took issue with Honda’s claims that it wanted to tell staff what was happening before making an official announcement.

She wrote: ‘You do not “take your responsibilities to your associates very seriously” at all. Considering the first 3,500 of us found out first via the news! Disgusting.’

Another user tweeted: ‘Honda didn’t even have the decency to tell staff in person.’