Caravan industry in Hull facing uncertainty after rollercoaster period

• Report by Jonathan Brown

Politicians have voiced fears that an industry supporting thousands of jobs in East Yorkshire could be forced to make further cuts if there is a second national lockdown.

Hull is recognised as the caravan manufacturing capital of the UK, with firms directly employing more than 4,000 people and supporting around 20,000 jobs in East Yorkshire.

But lockdown brought production lines to a halt at the industry's busiest time of the year and demand dried up due to the closure of holiday parks nationwide.

Since restrictions were eased earlier this summer, the industry has bounced back but there are concerns future measures could cost jobs.

Hull East MP Karl Turner has told ITV News that skilled jobs in manufacturing could be lost forever unless the Government takes action.

Mr Turner said: "People say they're not skilled, they're incredibly skilled and we worry if we lose those jobs, they're not going to find work elsewhere."

As part of a series of reports looking at the economy in Hull, companies including Coachman Caravans, MKM Leisure Division and Marton Valley Caravan Park spoke of their reflections on a rollercoaster year for the industry.

In response to our report, HM Treasury said:  “Our package of support, including the furlough scheme, has saved jobs and continues to protect the livelihoods of people across the country.

“Many of our unprecedented interventions - including the Job Retention Bonus, business rates holidays, VAT cuts and the Kickstart Scheme - will ensure this support continues into next year.

“We’ve not hesitated to act in creative and effective ways to support jobs and we will continue to do so as we recover from this crisis.”