Around 200 jobs have been lost following the appointment of administrators at one of East Anglia’s best known haulage companies, it was confirmed today.

Administrators from accountancy firm Ensors were appointed at Felixstowe-based Deben Transport on Monday after a recovery plan and cost cutting measures failed to turn the loss-making company around.

Deben Transport operated from a head office in Fagbury Road, Felxistowe, and seven other sites around the country and employed 224 people, most of who have now been made redundant.

The joint administrators, Mark Upton and David Scrivener, said in a statement today: “The company had seen a decline in its turnover from approximately £30million at its height but had recorded losses in the last two years of trading.

“Management had attempted to put in place a recovery plan and had recently taken cost cutting measures in an effort to turn the business around but it become apparent that ongoing losses meant that the company could not meet its commitments to creditors and the director had to take the decision to place the company in to administration.

“Once the financial position became apparent there was no option other than to cease trading immediately.”

The statement added: “Efforts were made to assign certain of the company’s contracts but this proved not to be possible and regrettably the majority of the workforce had to be made redundant once administration was inevitable.

“The joint administrators are currently working to realise the company assets but it is too early at this stage to predict what the financial outcome for creditors will be.”

Deben Transport was established in 1987 by Paul Dawson who built up the business over the next quarter of a century to include a fleet of around 150 vehicles and more than 200 trailers, further supported by a number of independent sub-contractors.

However, it is understood that Mr Dawson ceased to be managing director of the company several months ago.

Ensors confirmed that the only director at the time of the appointment of the administrators was Rachael McCall. She is understood to have joined the business last year as commercial director before becoming chief executive.