Anthrax scares sweeping Britain have left a Bradford soap powder company facing financial ruin.

Mark Cahill, pictured, who owns Cleanall, based in Manningham Lane, has been warned by police to stop leaving free promotional samples of soap powder on people's doorsteps because of the potential for causing alarm.

It follows four anthrax scares in the city, including another today at Bradford sorting office in Forster Square where more than 160 staff were evacuated at about 7am after a suspect package was found.

Yesterday, about 1,000 employees at the Inland Revenue in Shipley were evacuated when powder, later found to be harmless, was found in an envelope addressed to the accounts office off Salts Mill Road.

On Wednesday, 60 postal workers were evacuated from the sorting office in Shipley after a package containing white powder was found by staff. The package was sealed and sent for analysis at Government laboratories in Porton Down, Wiltshire where it was found to be harmless. And an alarm was raised at Bradford sorting office later that day when powder, also later found to be harmless, was discovered in a letter posted on the Holme Wood estate which was addressed to a member of the Government.

Mr Cahill, 41, of Daisy Hill, Bradford, and his four staff began a promotion to deliver packages of soap powder on Monday - and still have 20,000 sample bags to give out.

He says he has 22 tonnes of soap powder piled up in his warehouse which he fears will not be sold if the restriction continues.

He said: "We've just set up this week and have literally tonnes of powder to distribute. But the police have asked us to find an alternative way of giving samples.

"We label all the packages with our logo and telephone number, so what else can we do? I've spent thousands of pounds on prin-ting labels and bagging these samples professionally.

"They are see-through and its quite clear from the label what they are. It's just impossible to contact each householder before delivering the samples. I don't want to worry our workers, but if this continues it is going to cripple us financially."

A Bradford South police spokesman said: "We can confirm that the owner of this company has been advised by police not to drop off these packages without making a personal call to the householder.

"In the current climate this can cause a great deal of anxiety and tie up genuine calls to the emergency services."