The chief executive of Sony France has reportedly been held hostage as part of a protest staged by factory workers who are dissatisfied with their severance payouts.

It has been reported that Serge Foucher was forced to spend the night in a meeting room at Sony’s video plant in south-west France, after workers barricaded the entry to the site with tree trunks.

The workers, who will lose their jobs when the plant at Pontonx-surl'Adour closes in April, have allegedly claimed their pay-offs are less than other Sony employees based in France.

This form of protest has become increasingly popular with french employees. In a similar incident reported last year, police were called to an ice cream factory in Saint-Dizier to rescue a manager who had been held hostage following job cuts at the firm.