'Heartbreak' as well-known glass company to close

A well-known glassware company is set to close due to rising costs as bosses have said they are "heartbroken".

Chiefs at Bristol Blue Glass factory said in a statement posted online that increasing rental costs, fuel prices and the ill health of directors have created an "overwhelming" financial strain, and the company will close on May 31.

The announcement follows 7,000 people signing a petition to keep the company open after bosses were told they would need to find a new location for their factory, based on Bath Road.

Despite finding an alternative site, a spokesperson said the ongoing "challenges have simply become insurmountable for a small business like ours".

"Bristol Blue Glass stands as a testament to the city's artistic and industrial legacy, and as a heritage business, it's heartbreaking to have to say goodbye," they added.

Bristol Blue Glass was set up 38 years ago to re-establish a glass-making tradition which had been lost to the city for more than half a century.

The city was the bottle-making plant for the world in the 18th Century and remained popular throughout the 19th Century. The last factories closed in 1920, and it was not until Bristol Blue Glass opened in 1988 that the skill was revived.

"To everyone who supported us along the way, thank you. Your encouragement and loyalty has meant the world.

"We are grateful for the memories and the community we've built," a spokesperson added.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.