A SMALL business in Ipswich is today continuing to battle back two months after the theft of a delivery lorry threatened its future.Spreaders, a supplier to the county's plastering industry, lost business and faced an unclear future after the lorry - valued at between £15,000 and £20,000 was stolen in June.

A SMALL business in Ipswich is today continuing to battle back two months after the theft of a delivery lorry threatened its future.

Spreaders, a supplier to the county's plastering industry, lost business and faced an unclear future after the lorry - valued at between £15,000 and £20,000 was stolen in June.

The lorry featured a crane which was used to deliver heavy bags and as a result of the theft the firm's trade was hit.

However despite the setback the company, based on the Farthing Road Industrial Estate, has recovered well and uses a second lorry to deliver heavy bags with employees offloading them by hand.

Jeff Smith, owner of Spreaders, said the new method is proving labour intensive but is vital to the firm's future while it waits for an insurance payout to replace the stolen vehicle.

Mr Smith said: “We have got a delivery lorry but not one with a crane and businesses we previously supplied had thought we were going down.

“Since the theft we have been doing a lot of work by hand and phoning companies up to let them know we are still going.

“Once we get a payout from our insurers we will look to invest in another lorry.

“We will then pick up where we left off.”