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The final load of sugar beet was delivered to British Sugar's factory in York last week; it has now shut its gates forever.

British Sugar decided last year that it would reduce its UK network of sugar beet factories from six to four - operations in York and Allscott in Shropshire have now been terminated.

Owner-driver Ivan Trotter was asked to make the last delivery in honour of his father, Ken Trotter, who delivered sugar beet to the York factory for 50 years. Even Ivan has been  delivering to the site for 21 years.

He says: "It was nice to be asked, but obviously it was a sad moment as well."

The issue for many hauliers is whether they will find work to replace the seasonal sugar beet haulage next summer. Ivan says phlegmatically that "next year will tell", although a spokesman for British Sugar points out that some hauliers will be able to take sugar beet to the company's factory in Newark, Notts.

The spokesman adds: "Anybody operating south of the Humber should be in a good position to take advantage of the extra work that will be going through the Newark factory."

He concludes that while British Sugar sympathises with the hauliers who will lose work, the company has not been able to do anything directly to help because the hauliers are employed by the farmers, not British Sugar.

End of the beet generation as British Sugar shuts York site