JLR to restart production on Wednesday after cyber-attack

Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed that output at some of its manufacturing sites will resume on Wednesday, as it continues to recover from a serious cyber-attack.

Its production lines have been at a standstill since the start of September, following the attack.

The phased return of staff will begin at some sites in the West Midlands and Merseyside.

JLR has also announced a programme to fast-track payments to its direct suppliers, some of which had laid off workers after their revenues dried up following the hack.

Initially the scheme will be confined to the most critical suppliers needed for restarting production, but it will be expanded at a later date.

JLR says the phased restart will begin at its Wolverhampton engine plant and its battery assembly centre in Hams Hall.

Employees who work in facilities which prepare pressed metal bodywork at the company's sites in Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull will also be brought back in – as will those who work in the Solihull car plant's body shop and paint shop.

JLR says this move will be "closely followed" by the resumption of vehicle manufacturing in Nitra, Slovakia. The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport production lines in Solihull are expected to restart later in the week.

It is not yet clear when output will resume at JLR's Halewood plant on Merseyside.

Experts have warned that it is still likely to be several weeks before the production lines are running as normal.