The owner of haulage business Eddie Stobart today reported a difficult summer as erratic customer behaviour impacted its business.

Stobart Group, whose trucks are a common sight on Britain’s motorways and have featured in a Channel 5 documentary, said shorter notice, inaccurate customer forecasting and fluctuations in volume disrupted trade between May and July.

However, Stobart said August trading had "improved materially" and forecast a stronger second half of the year.

Elsewhere, the company saw progress in its air division, as London Southend Airport, which it owns, signed a deal with budget airline easyJet. The airport’s rail station, operated by Stobart Rail, also opened in July.