Visteon today refused to confirm whether its new-found independence would mean a move is on the cards.

Visteon, which makes car dashboard systems and other vehicle parts, has announced it is to separate from its parent company, Ford UK, later this year.

Visteon employs 2,000 workers at different sites in Basildon and is looking to consolidate its 1,000 sales, marketing, research, engineering and technical staff in one building in south east England.

It has been widely rumoured that this could involve the empty Barclays building at Pipps Hill.

Visteon today confirmed the Barclays site on the corner of Upper Mayne, is still an "option" which it has been to look at.

Its remaining 1,000 staff are employed at its radiator plant in Christopher Martin Road, Basildon. Barclays, which built and owns the building, was due to transfer 900 staff to Basildon from its Stratford office in East London.

It pulled out of the move last summer, following a down-turn in the pensions market.

Visteon is the world's third largest automotive systems supplier to the car industry with clients including Nissan, Peugeot and Volkswagen.

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