Financial woes leave royal glove maker in need of a hand

A leather glove maker favoured by the royal family is on the brink of collapse after almost 200 years.

Pittards has filed for protection from its creditors for the second time, in a move that threatens hundreds of jobs. The business, based in Yeovil, was founded in 1826 and has produced gloves for the royal family and emergency services.

It employs about 200 people in Britain and 1,000 in Ethiopia to make premium gloves and other leather goods, including belts and handbags.

Pittards’ gloves, including smart, formal handwear and prickle-proof varieties for keen gardeners such as the King and Queen, are in high demand from police forces.

The company gets most of its hides in Britain, and hair, sheepskin and goatskin from Ethiopia, where it