Fancy fast food trends and ruthless Government taxes are choking traditional cafes to death, owners claimed today.

Mel Briggs, who's been in the caf trade for 15 years, said she was not surprised by national figures that show one in nine British cafs has shut down in the past five years.

Mel, who runs a traditional diner in Odsal, claimed hefty VAT tariffs and monopolising fast food outlets are to blame for the demise of much-loved corner cafs.

In the five years since Mel, 32, took over the caf from her dad, she has struggled to make ends meet - she has to pay the same VAT rate as plush restaurants even though her business is a small-scale diner.

"It's just not fair. Cafs like mine are punished for being a small business. We don't get any support from the Government at all. Why should a caf be classed in the same category as a restaurant? The system isn't right.

"If I put my prices up to try to make more money then I'll risk losing my customers - it's only because of their loyalty and that we're an established family business that I'm still here.

"I work all hours in this business and by the time I've paid the bills and the VAT charges, I've hardly got anything left to run my own home with.

"I go home and cry some nights and I'm overdrawn to the hilt. Until recently I was a sole trader but now I've become a limited company just so my house is protected if things take a real nose-dive." said Mel, pictured with Zoe Briggs.

Bradford Bulls players are among regulars at Mel's Diner but most of her customers are labourers, self-employed business people and workers from small businesses nearby. Mel said: "The fact that my business and other small cafs up and down the country are surrounded by McDonalds, Burger Kings and Little Chefs doesn't help either - they take a lot of trend trade."

In February this year Bradford City Centre lost one of its most popular cafs when the Merrie England Coffee Shop in Godwin Street closed because of numerous break-ins and a drastic fall in customers.

Simon Dunn, who has organised Bradford's Food and Drink Festival for the last two years and opened the Yoyo Caf bar in Little Germany in March, said he believes Bradford's traditional cafs still have a fighting chance to survive.

He said: "In Harrogate and Leeds you have all sorts of up-market caf bars because they have a surplus of that kind of clientele, but I'd say compared to them Bradford still has a lot of traditional places simply because they are still in demand."

Marco Fasano, owner of Tony's Caf, Hammerton Street, Bradford, said: "Traditional cafs will naturally struggle if they stick with just eggs and bacon. You have to move with the times.

"The VAT we have to pay is extortionate. I'm just over the VAT threshold so I'm paying the same rate as the big chains. I'm not saying that we shouldn't pay but there should definitely be a scheme for smaller businesses."

A VAT spokesman said: "This country happens to have one of the highest threshold rates for paying VAT in Europe and it is increased every year to keep in line with inflation.

"There are a number of schemes on offer, that are designed to help small businesses who are VAT registered."