VW Emissions Scandal: Audi Engineers Suspended

Two engineers have been suspended at Volkswagen's luxury arm Audi, as the German car-maker reveals more about its involvement in an emissions scandal.

The German manufacturer announced in September that its 2009 to 2015 models were hiding their true level of emissions from regulators.

An estimated 11 million diesel vehicles are affected, including 1.2 million the UK.

Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler confirmed the suspensions in an interview with German newspaper Donaukurier.

He added that Audi is now investigating whether employees in the business's technical department, and elsewhere, deliberately manipulated the emission control devices.

The news comes just days after VW and Audi told US authorities that around 85,000 vehicles with 3.0 litre V6 diesel engines were secretly fitted with the emissions-control equipment.

The engine was designed and put together by Audi at its factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, and has been widely used in VW, Audi and Porsche cars since 2009.

It deepens the scandal for VW, which has seen its chief executive forced out, more than £14bn wiped off its market value and at least six senior officials put on leave as a result of the company's own investigations.

It has also prompted probes in a number of countries.