THE tough-talking union chief from Little Sutton who has spearheaded the fight to save a number of crisis-hit car plants is back in action.

In the early 1990s Tony Woodley, as the top motor industry negotiator for the T&G union, played a key role in persuading Ford to safeguard the future of the giant Halewood factory by transforming it to build Jaguars when production of the Escort moved abroad.

In 2000 he was in the fore-front of the campaign to save the Rover car company from oblivion when it was sold off by BMW.

And earlier this year - by this time general secretary of his union - he was closely involved in the negotiations which led to Vauxhall's Elles-mere Port plant winning the vital contract to build the next generation of Astra.

Now Mr Woodley is in the headlines again with his no nonsense views on the potential sell-off by Ford of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Any change of ownership of the two marques, which both build vehicles at Halewood, would have a major affect on the whole region.

As the story broke last week, Mr Woodley called for the Government to block any possible sale of the companies to 'asset-strippers'. And he demanded action to protect the future of 2,500 jobs.