Workers from the Peugeot car plant facing closure next year with the loss of 2,300 jobs will begin a weekend of demonstrations today aimed at saving the factory.

Union members will stage events in Coventry over the next few days to keep up pressure on the French carmaker to keep open the site at Ryton.

The Transport and General Workers Union and Amicus have drawn up a plan they believe will save the factory, which is earmarked for closure next summer.

TGWU convener at the plant Jim O'Boyle said support from the public had been "magnificent", adding: "it is vital that we keep up the campaign so that everyone understands just what damage the closure of Ryton would do to car industry jobs and the rest of the economy of Coventry and the whole of the West Midlands."

Union general secretary Tony Woodley said: "The campaign by our members at Ryton deserves the full support of everyone who believes that Britain can still make the goods we need to secure our future.

"It already has over-whelmingly backing from our union colleagues in other parts of Europe, who are impressed by the determination of the people of Coventry to defend their jobs and their local economy." Workers will hand out leaflets in Coventry today and will protest outside Peugeot dealerships tomorrow.

He continued: "We are pointing out to anyone considering buying a Peugeot that these are tarnished goods right now, with the company threatening to shut down a profitable plant and shift our jobs to the cheap labour zone of eastern Europe. If Peugeot is not prepared to pay workers in the UK, how can they expect to sell their cars here?"