Car retailers in Scotland and Wales are calling on their governments to immediately allow showrooms to reopen.

Nine Welsh retailers have written to the First Minister about “considerable harm” in remaining closed while English dealers across the border reopen from 1 June.

Signatories from the Welsh retail motor industry, which has a £3bn turnover and employs 20,000, were Days Motor Group, Griffin Mill Garages, Hutchings, Jeff White Motors, Mon Motors, Nathaniel Car Sales, Ron Skinner and Sons, Trade Centre Wales and White Dove Garages.

The Scottish Motor Trade Association has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying car retailers “urgently need some opportunity to save the new and used car markets” and chief executive Sandy Burgess says English retailers now have an “unfair advantage”.

The Northern Ireland Executive last week announced retailers could reopen from 8 June.