Jaguar Land Rover counts the cost of cyber attack

Production at JLR's British factories has stopped

A cyber attack which has halted production at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) factories across the world could be costing the firm "around £5m a day" in lost profits, a former industry executive has said.

Former Land Rover chief engineer Dr Charles Tennant said the firm turned over an average of £75m per day. He based his estimate on previous quarters although JLR has not confirmed those figures.

The car maker shut down its computer systems on 31 August, and said it was working with cybersecurity specialists "around the clock" to restart them.

Workers at its plants in Solihull, Halewood and Wolverhampton were sent home last Thursday, with no firm return date.

One company which supplies parts to the firm has described the shutdown as "concerning", as the firm waits for production to resume.

The disruption also means that dealerships are unable to register new cars, leaving customers unable to pick up vehicles they have ordered.

Dr Tennant said the hackers had struck "at the worst possible time" because the introduction of new registration plates in the UK means "September is one of the key selling months".

In a statement, the firm apologised and thanked "customers, partners, suppliers and colleagues for their patience and support", but did not discuss the financial impact of the attack.

Questions about the attack were raised in House of Commons on Tuesday, where business minister Sir Chris Bryant said he "cannot confirm or deny" whether the attack was state-sponsored.

A group of young hackers who have been behind other attacks on UK businesses, including M&S earlier this year, have also claimed responsibility for the JLR attack.

The retailer estimated its profits will be down by around £300m as a result.