A NEW six-speed gearbox for Ford cars is to be built on Merseyside, securing the long-term future of hundreds of manufacturing jobs.

A major investment at the Getrag-Ford car transmission plant in Halewood is expected to be officially confirmed by the Government and union officials in the next few days.

As well as safeguarding the current 600-700 strong workforce, it is expected the new six-speed production line could eventually lead to hundreds of new jobs.

Sixty will be created immediately as the plant starts for the first time to produce the metal casing for the gearboxes themselves.

The Department of Trade and Industry is expected to provide at least £8m in the form of grants towards the plan.

A delighted source at the plant said: "This will secure 600-700 current jobs for the next 20 years and will also create many new ones.

"New machine lines will be created to make the new gearbox and workers will also be manufacturing the metal case that the gears will be put in, so that means we'll see new jobs being created."

The six-speed gearboxes and the casings will be made primarily for the Ford Focus and Fiesta marques, and will be fitted in both petrol and diesel cars.

But the fact that Getrag-Ford is an independent joint venture between Germany's Getrag and Ford means the gearbox may also be sold to other brands.

As a result of the deal, Getrag-Ford plants in Bordeaux and Cologne are both expected to lose out.

Bordeaux will continue to make the standardised five-speed gearbox but it could become obsolete if Liverpool Getrag-Ford's six-speed gearbox takes off.

The company is thought to have faith in Liverpool to deliver the gearbox at a competitive price.

Two weeks ago, John Fleming, the Liverpool-born president of Getrag-Ford, visited the Merseyside plant to tell them the future of workers' sons was secure and praised the record of the Halewood workers.

The announcement on the new investment is expected to be made in the next few days in London by the Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, and the Transport & General Workers' Union.

Ms Hewitt is believed to be with T&G secretary Tony Woodley - the Merseysider widely acknowledged as playing a key role in saving car production in the region - in China at the moment, and the pair will fly back later this week.

Alec McFadden, president of Merseyside TUC, said: "I would be delighted to see investment into Halewood. It's the past and it's the future."