Consumers have been ditching traditional floor coverings

Unions fear the 1,165 workers employed by the UK's biggest carpet manufacturer could face the axe.

The Transport and General Workers Union said it was shocked by the announcement.

Peter Booth, T&G National Organiser said members were told of the news on Wednesday when they were called into meetings.

"Hundreds of jobs across Northern England, Wales and Scotland are at risk," he added.

Tough times

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been appointed as receiver.

Bradford-based Carpets International is Britain's largest carpet manufacturer with an annual turnover of around �100m .

It supplies an number of High Street retailers and traders and trades under the Kossett, Wilton Royal and Abingdon brands.

But in the last 12 months the firm has suffered heavy competition from imports and falling demand in the UK as consumers moved away from traditional floor coverings.

Joint administrative receiver Roger Marsh, of PwC, said: "We are holding urgent talks with key suppliers over the course of the next few days to seek their support to allow trading to continue."

But PwC said it was "too early to say" what its plans were for the business.

The company has six active sites - its Bradford HQ, a distribution centre in Hull; factories in Hartlepool, Gwent, and Donaghadee and Killinchy in Northern Ireland.