Paper 4 Print acquired the Manchester office, saving 16 jobs.

Clive Weir managing director of Paper 4 Print said the Manchester branch had been one of York & Ford Paper's most successful, reportedly having sales of 6m.

"We intend to go forward and build on that success," he said.

Weir led a management buyout of York & Ford's Liverpool branch a little over a year ago, establishing Paper 4 Print's foothold in the Merseyside area.

"We knew the people at the Manchester office, and they will help us establish the business in the Lancashire and Yorkshire area," he said.

A new fleet of vehicles is on order, which Weir said would be delivered in 12 weeks' time.

Prior to working for York & Ford Paper, Weir spent 16 years at Guppy Paper, before its merger into Premier Paper.

Administrative receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) closed the Leicester office resulting in 25 redundancies.

A spokeswoman for PwC said the site had failed to receive significant interest. "Regrettably the decision was then taken to close the business," she said.

PwC was appointed as administrative receiver to York & Ford Paper on 3 March.

York & Ford Paper (Southern) was sold to Elliott Baxter shortly afterwards, while Moorgate Paper bought the Luton branch.

The York & Ford Birmingham and Sheffield branches were closed, as was its Nottingham-based subsidiary Laird Paper.

Story by Andy Scott