º£½ÇÊÓƵ carmaker JLR has again extended its shutdown by another week following a recent cyber attack.
The manufacturer has told staff across its factories, suppliers and partners that the closure will continue until Wednesday October 1.
This follows the announcement last week that the shutdown would continue until September 24.
A statement released by the company said: "We have informed colleagues, suppliers and partners that we have extended the current pause in production until Wednesday 1 October, following the cyber incident.
"We have made this decision to give clarity for the coming week as we build the timeline for the phased restart of our operations and continue our investigation.
"Our teams continue to work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement to ensure we restart in a safe and secure manner.
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"Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues and our retailers who remain open.
"We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience."
JLR, which is headquartered in Coventry, was forced to pause production at its º£½ÇÊÓƵ plants across the West Midlands and on Merseyside and in Slovakia, Brazil, India and China following the cyber attack which shut down its systems on August 31.
The cost of the prolonged period of disruption could reach into the hundreds of millions for the manufacturer which produces around 1,000 cars a day globally.
The company, which makes the Jaguar, Range Rover and Land Rover brands, employs around 30,000 people and supports ten of thousands of other jobs in the supply chain.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Industry minister Chris McDonald are due to visit JLR today and also talk to companies in the supply chain.
Mr McDonald said: "We have two priorities - helping Jaguar Land Rover get back up and running as soon as possible and the long-term health of the supply chain.
"The business secretary and I are visiting JLR today to host companies in the supply chain, to listen to workers and hear how we can support them and help get production back online.
"We are acutely aware of the difficulties the stoppage is causing for those suppliers and their staff, many of whom are already taking a financial hit through no fault of their own - and we will do everything we can to reassure them that the Government is on their side."
Trade union Unite last week called for a furlough scheme for workers in the JLR supply chain akin to what was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
And Conservative MPs from the West Midlands have called for urgent government action following the cyber attack.
they warn that a prolonged halt of production poses a serious threat to the region's economy and the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's broader automotive sector.
The MPs highlight that many suppliers are facing severe liquidity issues and are being forced to consider layoffs.
They have called on the Department for Business and Trade to urgently use their convening power with HM Treasury and º£½ÇÊÓƵ banks to provide short-term, fully repayable loans to stabilise affected suppliers.
They are also demanding that insurers expedite any claims related to the cyber incident without delay.
