David Dobbs, the de facto director of collapsed Eastbourne haulage firm Southern Pallets, has now been declared bankrupt. Dobbs was declared bankrupt on 5 August, a month after Southern was placed into liquidation. The company's statement of affairs reveals that Southern had a total deficiency of £118,239 when it ceased trading.

Liquidator Jeremy Knight says the firm was hit by many factors: "It was being squeezed on price, fuel costs and to a lesser extent other contributory factors, such  as the theft of fuel from vehicles.

"I wouldn't like to go any further than that at this stage, but other factors were involved [above cost pressures] otherwise every company in the same industry would be going bust as well. They didn't have deep pockets - that's for sure." Knights estimates that any dividend available to unsecured creditors will be small: "[The] absolute best case will be pennies in the pound," he adds.