The Sussex textile industry is in a dire state, according to local fabric manufacturers.

Firms across the region hit out as MPs debated the textile business. Duncan Stainsbury, company secretary for Burgess Hill-based Hammertex Ltd, said: "The situation is as bad as we've seen it."

Mr Stainsbury said the Government had abandoned the manufacturing sector. He added: "It seems to be they're only interested in technology and the net. More traditional aspects are being forgotten. In Belgium they get state support and they're our competitors."

The textiles industry has been hit by overseas competition and the strong pound. Manufacturers are angry farmers and firms such as Rover and BAE have received Government help while nothing has been done for them.

Eastbourne textile business Jarvis Manufacturing echoed the warnings. Bill Cobbolds, a partner at the company, said: "People are demanding ever lower prices and there's nothing I can do about it. The Government has forgotten manufacturing exists. They would rather it faded away."

MPs discussed the industry in a debate in Westminster Hall, London. David Tredinnick, Conservative MP for Bosworth, described textile manufacturers as an "endangered species".

Shadow trade and industry secretary Angela Browning warned the government's application of EU regulations made times tougher. Trade and Industry minister Richard Caborn said he understood the problems faced by the UK textiles industry but did not promise an injection of public cash.

He accused Mark & Spencer of arrogance. The company has put the squeeze on British firms by taking its contracts abroad. The textile industry is worth £17 billion to the British economy. It employs 306,000 people. In 1998-99 36,000 jobs were lost in the sector.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.