CAR parts and engineering firm [...]; Business IN BRIEF.

CAR parts and engineering firm GKN yesterday said they would cut an extra 1200 jobs over the next two years.

The news came as the firm crashed to a pounds 16million pre-tax loss for the first six months of the year - compared with a pounds 118million profit for the same period a year earlier.

GKN slid into the red despite 2500 jobs going in the first half under previous cost-cutting plans - including 564 in the UK.

The extra job losses will not affect UK staff.

And the firm added that their automotive division returned to profit in June.