BOSSES at a Preston cheese manufacturing firm could be forced to shut their 67-year-old business due to the export ban on cheese products.

Managers at Singletons Dairy, in Preston Road, Longridge, fear they could be out of business in three months if they are prevented from selling their cheese products overseas.

Company director Bill Riding -- whose family has run the business since 1934 -- said 60 per cent of 2,500 tonnes of cheese products manufactured at the dairy each year are shipped to customers across the world.

But, since the start of the foot-and-mouth outbreak last week, the European Commission has banned the overseas sale of all livestock, meat and other animal products, in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.

Now, bosses at Singletons are facing financial ruin and the jobs of 80 people employed at the site are left hanging in the balance.

Although they are hopeful of receiving a health certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food before the end of this week bosses say there is no guarantee that countries which have banned British cheese will lift the barrier.

Ironically, bosses at Singletons travelled to London on Monday (February 27) to receive an International Trade Award from the Queen in recognition of their exporting success. Mr Riding said: "This crisis is going to cripple us, we'll be out of business in about three months if this keeps up like it is. I'm absolutely devastated, but it's in the hands of the politicians now.

"Our cheese is pasteurised -- a process that kills the disease. We export all varieties of cheese and manufacture 2,500 tonnes every year worth £7.5m.

"They shouldn't have banned cheese. It was a knee jerk reaction on their part but some of my cheese was made months before the outbreak of the disease yet I'm not allowed to sell it abroad."

Preston MP Mark Hendrick said: "The export ban is a legal ban. We are signed up to treaties and we have to follow the rules just like other European countries.

"The ban on cheese, regardless of when it was made, is to prevent people from trying to change the date of when their products were made. We have to do what we can to contain this disease.

"There is no compensation available for business which have suffered as a consequence of this crisis. My heart goes out to Singletons who are probably going to suffer. There will be a review of the export ban on March 8."