A specialist fence firm sawed off panels of security fencing around a £2 million Bradford Royal Mail depot today in protest at not being paid in full for the work on time.

Four men from Ulysses Security Enterprises of Teesside sawed down two panels of 12 ft high steel security fencing at the Ripley Street base being built for the postal firm.

The gang was led by Joe Francis, who designed the security fence and who said his firm was recommended to Royal Mail by West Yorkshire Police.

He previously welded the depot gates open in protest at lack of full payment by Ilkley-based Quarmby Construction - the main contractors on the site - said a Royal Mail spokesman.

Mr Francis said today: "Why should a small firm like ours suffer because a large firm like Quarmby does not pay the full amount they owe us on time? Jobs and an expansion plan are at risk because of what they are doing."

He said the firm was asked to carry out the sub-contracting work by Quarmby in a deal worth £41,000. It had currently paid half the sum owed.

"But we have had to nag for the rest of the money and when we came to weld the gates of the site open they offered us a further payment, but this has not materialised. We have refused to paint the fence and that has had no effect so we are sawing down the fence and will saw the fence sections into bits so they will not be able to put them up again when we have gone."

Roger Nelson, Quarmby's commercial director, said: "I cannot comment on this dispute. Ulysses know about the situation."

A spokesman for Royal Mail in Bradford said: "This is a contractual dispute between two contractors and is nothing to do with Royal Mail."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.