The Japanese carmaker is set to introduce a third shift at the plant by December this year in response to a record production year in 2007 and demand for its crossover vehicle the Qashqai.

The factory, which is Europe's largest car producer and exporter, manufactured a record 353,000 units last year.

The Qashqai has sold 130,000 units since launch and Nissan said orders were still above forecast with a customer order bank of 60,000 vehicles. Around half of the new positions will be permanent and the remaining 400 will be temporary contracts. Trevor Mann, senior vice president for manufacturing and supply chain management for Nissan Europe, said: “Currently on two shifts, we can produce 200,000 Qashqais per year. However, we now need to significantly increase our volume. “Ultimately, how many we produce will be determined by the market, but we have identified the need for a third shift. “Today, this level of recruitment in the Western European car manufacturing sector is rare, and reflects the ongoing commitment Nissan has in its UK operation.”