Fuming haulage bosses and truck drivers from Bradford have taken to the roads to strike back against fuel prices which they say are crippling the industry.

The Tax Truck stopped off at the Hartshead Moor service station on the M62 yesterday afternoon with members of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the freight industry on hand to protest at diesel prices.

They warned that French-style direct action and blockades could be on the way if the Government did not act to lower the cost of fuel which is forcing scores of firms out of business.

Disgruntled members of the RHA have already called for ballot action on strikes and roadblocks after seeing the results of the controversial demonstrations at French ports. Margaret Edmunds, Yorkshire area manager for the RHA, said: "We have lost 80 members in the past month who have been forced to close down because of the rising fuel prices.

"Other members are asking us to have a ballot soon because they want more direct action after seeing how it worked for the French.

"Over the past two years we've been telling the Government about the crisis we are in and submitted a report asking for a rebate for essential road users, such as hauliers, but they just told us to put up our costs.

"How can we do this? A lot of our customers are the big supermarkets and they will just refuse to pay any more so we are left footing the bill."

One of those backing the action was Michael Spencer, director of Bradford haulier J T Feather, who warned firms in the industry had reached breaking point and needed help.

His firm, which has ten lorries and two vans, now spends £10,000 on fuel a month - an increase of about £2,000 in the last few weeks.

He said: "The industry is in a terrible situation at the moment. In France you can buy diesel for 50p a litre and look how angry they are.

"I can see a situation pretty soon where truckers over here do the same thing because we cannot take any more."

RHA figures show the some European countries pay up to 34p a litre less for diesel than English drivers.

Research also shows increasing numbers of truckers from the Continent fill up their tanks from home countries and while in England on work tout their services to work within the country, using their cheaper fuel rates to their advantage.