PRECISION engineer firm Wyko, which has a depot in Blackburn, has became the latest industrial company to express concern at poor trading conditions.

Chairman Philip White warned November and December sales were hit by its hard-pushed customers cutting back on spending and increasing the length of their holiday shutdown periods.

Unveiling a steady improvement in its interim profits, he said: "The results achieved in the half-year confirm our ability to perform well in difficult market conditions.

"However, the pattern of demand has become more erratic and it is therefore increasingly difficult to predict with any degree of confidence."

He added: "If the pre-Christmas level of demand does continue into the New Year, profits in the second half will be adversely affected and are then unlikely to match the first half performance."

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