Hundreds of people are out of work following the closure of a factory in Congleton.

Autoliv has confirmed the closure of its Airbags International manufacturing facility on Viking Way.

The move impacts around 250 people, with the factory having shut down on Thursday, September 25.

A spokesperson for Autoliv said: "In response to evolving market conditions, Autoliv has made the difficult decision to close its manufacturing textile weaving facility for curtain airbags in Congleton, UK.

"This action is part of a broader strategy to optimize our geographic footprint and align our operations with long-term business needs.

"Collective consultation with elected employee representatives began in 2023, and we have worked closely with social partners to ensure a responsible and respectful transition for all affected employees.

"Approximately 250 roles were impacted.

"We have continuously supported our workforce through this process with appropriate provisions and open dialogue."

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Plans for the closure of the site and relocation of production were first announced in July 2023.

Autoliv said it was 'accelerating its global structural cost reductions'.

The Swedish stated that closing sites and reducing their total workforce by up to 11% would simplify their logistics and geographic footprint while 'significantly' lowering costs.

Mikael Bratt, president and CEO of Autoliv, said at the time: "These are the first actions in reducing our total workforce and important steps in the optimization of our geographic footprint.

"We are confident these steps will improve our ability to serve our customers with world-class life-saving products and solutions."