London  - Production at a giant Honda car plant in Britain was being wound down Friday for a four-month closure due to falling sales.

More than 3,000 workers arriving for their last shifts before they return on June 1 will receive their full basic pay for the first two months, and around 60 per cent after that.

Unconfirmed reports have said that a further 1,000 workers had already signed up for severance deals.

The shutdown at the plant in Swindon, in the south-western county of Wiltshire, is thought to be one of the longest in Britain's recent industrial history.

The Japanese carmaker has said the move is in response to the downturn in the car market, but no redundancies were planned at the Swindon plant.

However, when workers return, they will be making fewer vehicles as production, which was at around 240,000 vehicles a year, will resume at half that level.

Honda employs 4,200 people in Britain and exports the Civic model to 60 countries worldwide. (dpa)