'How many more blows can the pottery industry take?'

Stoke-on-Trent's pottery industry has been "squeezed and squeezed", with businesses and experts questioning how many blows the city can take after the collapse of Royal Stafford.

The firm, which dated back more than 200 years, called in administrators on Tuesday with the loss of 83 jobs, the GMB Union said.

Jon Plant, who founded Moorland Pottery in Burslem 38 years ago, said in that time he had seen the steady decline of the industry, with rising costs from the war in Ukraine the latest and most severe blow.

Royal Stafford said it had faced a dramatic reduction in orders and, coupled with energy price rises, this left it unable to afford to continue to trade.

The firm's collapse followed the closure of Dudson in 2019, Wade in Longton two years ago and Johnsons Tiles last year.

Royal Stafford was known for its cream-coloured earthenware and tableware and was one of the few businesses left in the area that did not outsource its manufacturing abroad.

The union said it blamed spiralling energy bills as well as the illegal importation of foreign forgeries which was driving down orders in the UK.

Mr Plant said prices had "skyrocketed" since the war in Ukraine, adding: "We've been squeezed and squeezed and squeezed.. and you cannot deal with it."

"Not only the cost of firing the kiln, the cost of materials, everything goes up so it's a big, big problem and it has been exacerbated by the war, there's no doubt about that."

However, news of Royal Stafford's collapse was a "total shock", he said.

"In a way, Stoke has got to start again and it's got to become smaller, [with] smaller businesses... it takes individuals, it takes people, it takes passion and you just wonder whether that passion has been just sucked out of the industry."

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said it was working with the owners to help find alternative employment for workers losing their jobs and accepted it was a massive blow for Burslem.

The council's leader Jane Ashworth said high energy bills and other factors had made it "difficult for local employees" but the authority remained committed to improving the city's economy, including plans to regenerate Burslem.

Ceramics expert Steven Moore, the former creative director at Burleigh Pottery who has appeared on the BBC One's Antiques Road Trip, said he was devastated by the news about Royal Stafford.

"How long can this go on.. how many blows can Stoke take?" he asked.

"People need to ask themselves, do we want to be able to buy pottery that is made in England, in Stoke on Trent?"

Paying a little more for an item made in England was "a longer term investment not just in yourself but in the country as well", he said.

There were now only a handful of companies left in the area who made everything in-house and Mr Moore said he feared skills would soon be lost forever.

In a statement Royal Stafford said it had traded as a manufacturer and retailer of tableware in Burslem since 2007 when its current owners bought the business.

The closure meant 83 redundancies "many of whom have worked for the company since 2007 and some who worked for Royal Stafford Tableware prior to that".

"The directors have pursued every avenue possible to save the business, but without the guarantee of a profitable forward order book, this was not possible," the firm said.

Insolvency firm Moore Recovery had placed the company into liquidation and a closing-down sale was planned.

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