• A growing number of driving jobs are in the
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balance because of the stagnant high street retail market — 1,000 jobs are being cut by clothing and home goods chain Laura Ashley.
The redundancies will hit seven factory sites in Wales and Shropshire putting the company's 40 drivers' jobs at risk.
Company transport manager David Hughes says that a decision is expected soon on losses in the transport division. The company runs its own 30 strong mainly Scania fleet, with Volvos for home deliveries, from bases in Milton Keynes and Newtown, Wales. The vehicles collect from the seven factories and deliver direct to 150 UK shops and to outlets in Ireland and the Netherlands.
The Laura Ashley cuts follow the loss of thousands of jobs from the collapse of home goods retailers Colon% and the Lowndes Queensway group, and rumours of troubles dogging other companies including the World of Leather chain and Stag Furniture Holdings.