Surging fuel prices have been blamed for the closure of a family-run Bradford haulage business.

R W Feather & Son, based at the Morley Carr Business Centre, has been wound up after the directors decided to call it a day rather than let their debts go on mounting.

The business employed 15 people and operated around 20 large 18 tonne vehicles and 7.5 tonne wagons.

Liquidators O’Hara & Co said the firm paid preferential creditors, who were owed £15,000 in full The remainder of its assets were used to pay as much as possible towards non-preferential claims totalling £254,000, leaving outstanding debts of around £32,750.

A spokesman for Birstall-based O’Hara & Co said: “A major factor in R W Feather & Son’s demise was the crippling costs of fuel, and it had also incurred a number of bad debts.

“The directors wanted to do the honourable thing and get out of the industry before its debts got any worse and it left too many customers out of pocket.”

Feather was one of four hauliers to go under at the end of April.

Steve Biddle, regional director of the Road Haulage Association, based in Cleckheaton, said fuel costs had soared since October diesel by 10p a litre to 107p.

He said: “This is equivalent to an extra £4,206 for each truck operated by a haulier, so a firm with 15 units has seen fuel costs alone rise by £60,000 in recent months, which is unsustainable for many companies.

  • Read the full story in Friday's T&A