Fuel and staff cost rises have forced a long-established Cheshire-based company to cease operating coach tours.

Burland Coaches has been running tours and excursions, including school trips, for 17 years. It has a fleet of nine vehicles.

But Office Manager Nick Warburton said that rising fuel prices, rising wages and the increased cost of insurance premiums had forced it out of business.

“We’ve still got the doors open, we haven’t gone into liquidation, but we can’t operate our coaches any more, we’ve surrendered our licence,” he said.

“The rising costs mean we just can’t make any money so we’re closing down.”

Local coach operator Sunblaze Tours is taking over all existing bookings from Burland Coaches, which will all go ahead as planned.

In a statement on its website, Sunblaze said: “Following the recent closure of Burland Coaches Nantwich, we are pleased to announce that we have taken over this operators [sic] Tour and Excursion programme. If you have an Excursion or Tour booked with Burland do not worry your trip will operate.”

It went on to say that Sunblaze will offer a ‘comprehensive’ programme of tours for the rest of 2022 and a new 2023 brochure will be published shortly.

“In addition, we are working with Northwich Travel and passengers can look forward to modern tour coaches with additional leg room on all future trips, it said.”

Nick added: “Sunblaze are taking over our tours and day trips to keep all our customers happy. We had a great customer base.”