SPIRALLING fuel prices are being blamed for creating a crisis in Craven's haulage industry.

Fuel prices have risen over the £1 per litre mark in some parts of the country and this cost is being pushed onto hauliers.

Longthorne's of Hebden, is a family run business which has existed through four generations.

Employing 40 people, brothers Mark, Gordon and Jonathan are currently charged with keeping the business going.

According to Mark Longthorne fuel prices have increased by an average of 2p per month over the past two years, making it hard to budget for costs.

"It's not only firms like ourselves that are so seriously affected by the rise in fuel costs.

"Ninety nine per cent of every product is transported by road, so eventually this extra cost will be passed onto the consumer but not before all businesses have suffered and many firms have been forced to cease trading," he added.

Mr Longthorne said starting at unsociable hours helped the firm avoid traffic and keep costs down.

"The petroleum retailers association states that British fuel without tax is the cheapest in the world, but with tax it makes it the most expensive.

"When the Government came to power their priority was to help small businesses, we need the help now. All we want is an honest day's work for an honest day's pay," he added.

William Winterburn, of W Winterburn and Sons, Engine Shed Lane, Skipton, said the industry was at crisis point.

"If something isn't done about the price soon there will be a mass shut down in the industry. The country will come to a halt," said Mr Winterburn, 63, who has been in the industry for 35 years.

In 12 months his fuel bill for five lorries has rocketed from about £1,500 a day to £2,000 and he says it is now almost unsustainable.

Ian Baines, of IS & AJ Baines of Silsden, has been in haulage for 40 years. He said: "I was running five wagons and now I am running four. We might have to get rid of two others, which would mean two men being out of work, which would be very bad."

But Norman Simpson, of Pennine Motor Company, which runs seven bus routes across the district, said the fuel prices just had to be factored in along with everything else.

"It is no better or worse than the wages going up every year. I look at the petrol prices throughout the year and then work out an average of how much they've gone up," added Mr Simpson.

Meanwhile, motorists faced long queues for fuel earlier this week as they stocked up ahead of fears of refinery blockades across the country.

Some garages ran dry, unable to cope with the extra demand, but things were back to normal on Wednesday as the fuel protestors failed to make much impact.