The chief executive of Nestlé UK has moved to scotch rumours that its milk-processing factory at Dalston, near Carlisle, might shut.

Dame Fiona Kendrick was speaking last night at a dinner at the city's Halston Aparthotel as the guest of Conservative MP John Stevenson.

It was Eric Martlew, Mr Stevenson's predecessor as MP, who predicted in the run up to the EU referendum that Nestlé and Pirelli would close their Cumbrian sites within five years if the UK voted to leave.

Pirelli has already said that the Brexit vote will have “little or no impact” on its UK tyre factories in Carlisle and Burton-on-Trent.

And Dame Fiona said that Nestlé was “100 per cent committed” to Dalston.

She said: “The practical consequences of the country’s decision to leave the EU will become clearer in the months to come, and particularly once the new Prime Minister has had a chance to get her feet under the table.

“For Nestlé, we remain 100 per cent committed to the UK and to all of our people in the UK, including here in Dalston.

“It’s business as usual for us – we are a strong and successful company and I am very confident that we will continue to succeed in what will become Britain’s new place in the world."

The Swiss food giant employs 7,900 workers in the UK, including 330 at Dalston.

Mr Martlew worked there as a laboratory technician and personnel manager from 1966 until he became the city's Labour MP in 1987.

Speaking during the referendum campaign, he said: “I worked at Nestlé for many years so I know how these international companies work. If we are out I do not think they will invest. The same goes for Pirelli. These are good jobs.”

Dame Fiona's speech to a business audience also tackled the challenges that Britain faces around improving productivity and skills.

She said: "For our part at Nestlé, we’re taking the productivity debate to our factories, our local partners and local businesses, including here in Dalston in the coming months to kickstart the Northern Powerhouse into action.

"As the engine of our local economy, we employers must identify what we can do promote investment and growth."