Ford bosses say they are trying their best to keep spirits up at the motor giant's factory in Southampton following a production freeze.

Work ground to a halt by last Thursday at the Ford Transit assembly plant because of a bitter industrial dispute in Belgium.

As reported by the Daily Echo, unions at the company's sister plant in Genk are disrupting supplies of vehicle body parts to Hampshire.

They are furious about plans to lay off 3,000 workers - about 25 per cent of the workforce.

Meanwhile, the 1,603 staff at the landmark factory in Swaythling, just off the M27, have been placed on indefinite training as there is nothing else for them to do.

With the factory now in its fifth day of non-assembly, workers are becoming increasingly anxious as the dispute, in which they are helpless pawns, drags on.

Corporate affairs manager Tom Malcolm sought to allay growing concerns over morale at the factory, where up to 375 best-selling Transit vans are normally made during a two-shift system.

He said: "The spirit between all sides is pretty strong; they are pretty unhappy this is happening, but they are pulling together well."

A works council meeting in Genk - where the Ford Mondeo is made - was held yesterday in a bid to try and break the deadlock.

Union representatives are trying to limit the number of jobs lost and negotiate measures to prevent "uncushioned redundancies".

Ford has repeatedly assured Southampton workers that there will be no lay-offs, and that it will be able to catch up on lost time.