A Sunderland military ammunition factory has temporarily closed after a coronavirus outbreak.
BAE Systems, in Washington, has shut as a health and safety precaution after staff tested positive earlier this week.
And the manufacturing giant has now confirmed a deep clean of the facility will take place.
A spokesperson for BAE Systems said: "A small number of employees at our site in Washington, Tyne & Wear, have tested positive for Covid-19.
"All employees who work in the same area as those affected have been tested for Covid-19 and are self-isolating.
"The site is undergoing a deep clean.
"The safety of our employees is our number one priority and we have robust measures in place, in line with Government guidelines, to enable our employees to work safely at our sites.”
An anonymous source contacted SunderlandLive to claim workers were sent home on no pay, though BAE Systems refuted this claim and said it is continuing to pay its employees.
Around 350 people are employed at the Washington site, which was opened by Princess Anne in 2012 after a £75m investment to build new facilities on the site of a former Dunlop factory.
