Manufacturing has officially slipped into recession after figures revealed output has fallen for the second quarter in succession.

Results from the Office for National Statistics show manufacturing output rose 0.3 per cent in June but fell by two per cent overall in the second quarter of the year.

Bradford has been victim of a series of high profile factory closures in the past six months highlighting the slump, among them the closure of the Pace Micro Technology plant in Saltaire and last week's dismissal of more than 200 textile workers at W&J Whitehead.

Mike Cartwright, policy and officer at the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said: ''The news is disastrous but not surprising.

''The figures illustrate the deep imbalance in the economy.

''What is of growing concern is that the slowdown is not confined to traditional manufacturing, new industries are also finding it hard.''

He continued: ''It won't bring consolation to Bradford businesses that this is a national problem, not a local one and I think we saw the Bank of England pre-empt this news last week with the cut in interest rates.''

Ian Hughes, director of Engineering Employers' Federation Yorkshire and Humberside, said earlier predictions of resilience in manufacturing had been off centre.

He said: ''There is still some optimism about on orders, but we have to remember that the brighter expectations of three months ago have proved to be too bullish.''

Mr Hughes added: ''Perhaps our industry is a trifle over-anxious to interpret future trends as favourable.''

His predictions for the sector in the coming months were also downbeat with forecasts of a continued fall in output reflecting poor orders and increasing the threat to jobs.