PRODUCTION was disrupted for two hours at the Nissan car plant when a fire broke out early yesterday morning.

Staff were evacuated from the Washington plant at 3.15am when the blaze broke out in an unused section of the plastic plant. No one was hurt.

A Nissan spokesman said: "Contractors were stripping out old equipment when paint residues remaining within a cavity caught fire.

"The contractors tried to tackle the fire with portable extinguishers and fire hoses but due to the presence of smoke, nine contractors and 20 staff quickly evacuated the plastics building.

"The fire brigade brought the fire under control, and ensured there were no smouldering remains."

Production of bumpers and fuel tanks was interrupted, but main line production was not affected and began at 7am.