PM makes appeal to Aston Martin to open plant in Wales

It is hoped the car maker will move to south Wales

Prime Minister David Cameron has issued a direct appeal to car makers Aston Martin to consider building their new luxury SUVs in Wales.

He said that a large MoD hangar could be made available to the company at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan in what he described as a "great offer".

BBC Wales understands the firm is considering sites in St Athan and another in Coventry.

An assembly plant for Aston Martin could create hundreds of jobs.

The Welsh government has been in talks with Aston Martin for many months.

But earlier the car maker said no decision has been taken on the location of a new manufacturing plant.

A spokesperson said: "No decision has been taken on a location of a new manufacturing plant; we are considering a wide variety of domestic and international options."

Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb said it was "brilliant" that Mr Cameron had made a direct pitch to Aston Martin to "bring the James Bond brand to Wales".

Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting the Royal Welsh show in Powys

He said it was an excellent potential development and the Welsh government had been working hard, alongside the UK government.

Mr Crabb said bringing the jobs to St Athan would be a "tremendous achievement".

The plea from Mr Cameron came hours after he announced a deal which would create 250 highly-skilled jobs servicing armoured vehicles in Merthyr Tydfil.

Mr Cameron told BBC Wales he was "delighted" the new plant would be created in Wales.

The prime minister has been visiting the Royal Welsh show in Powys.

Analysis by BBC Wales political editor Nick Servini

This could be seen as a dangerous game being played by David Cameron.

It seems he is trying to bounce Aston Martin into a major investment at the Ministry of Defence base at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

I understand the final decision by the company is a matter of months away. It is hugely sensitive and behind the scenes the Welsh government is nervous about it being made public in this way.

If the firm decides to start production in Coventry, which is said to be the other main UK rival to St Athan, or abroad, then inevitably Mr Cameron will face criticism.

But you could say that if someone is going to try to publicly bounce a world-famous car firm into making a decision then it might as well be the prime minister.

If the investment goes ahead, it would be a spectacular chapter for St Athan, which has largely proved to be a graveyard for ambitious schemes in the past such as a defence military training academy.