Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting the boss of car giant Nissan amid fears over the Japanese company's future in Britain following the Brexit vote.

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn has suggested the company will halt new investment in its plant in Sunderland unless it can agree a compensation deal with the Government for any adverse financial impact from the UK's decision to withdraw from the EU.

Keeping Nissan in the UK is regarded as vital to Mrs May's hopes for a successful Brexit, and it is thought that she will use Friday's Downing Street meeting to explore what assurances the company is seeking.

The Sunderland plant, which has been active since 1986, employs almost 7,000 people producing around 500,000 Juke, Qashqai and Leaf motors a year - about a third of the UK's total car manufacturing.

Nissan is part-owned by French manufacturer Renault, raising concerns that production could be moved to France to avoid any tariffs which could be introduced on exports to the EU if the UK leaves the single market in a so-called "hard Brexit".

Speaking at the Paris Motor Show in August, Mr Ghosn said that "important investment decisions will not be made in the dark".

He said: "If I need to make an investment in the next few months and I can't wait until the end of Brexit, then I have to make a deal with the UK Government.

"You can have commitments of compensation in case you have something negative. If there are tax barriers being established on cars, you have to have a commitment for car-makers who export to Europe that there is some kind of compensation."

Downing Street declined to discuss Mrs May's meeting, saying: "The Prime Minister meets with a range of business leaders all the time."

In the June 23 referendum, the people of Sunderland voted to leave the European Union, with 61% backing the Out campaign.

Mr Ghosn did not speak to reporters as he arrived for the talks.

The Nissan chief was driven into Downing Street in a black Qashqai, a model made at the firm's Sunderland plant.