EAST Lancashire’s hauliers say they are struggling with sky-high petrol and diesel prices.

With diesel now reaching £1.28 a litre, transport companies face increased costs just to maintain current customers.

Stephen Brierley, of A Brierley Transport, in Breck Row Gardens, Clayton-le-Moors, said he had to enforce staff pay-freezes in the hope of avoiding redundancies.

He said: “Everybody in the sector is struggling but no one can improve their rates.

“We have had to keep our charges the same but we are paying more for petrol.

“I have told the drivers there are no pay rises this year. We are just hoping to ride it out.

“This is a family firm so we are used to just taking a bit less in times like this.”

At MK Transport Services, in Stanley Street, Blackburn, managing director Martin King said: “Prices are making a hard job even harder.

"If there’s a slight rise, you can pass it on to the customer but some just won’t pay any more.

“There’s an attitude now that nothing can be done about it and there’s always an excuse for high prices.

"It’s going to finish a lot of people off if it carries on.”

Earlier this week, Tony Burridge said he would be forced to close down his Tarleton haulage firm because of rising fuel prices.