Cement lorries are set to thunder down Whitehall next month as Britain’s embattled construction firms warn they could be buried by a wave of cheap imports unless the Government protects the sector.

A tanker emblazoned with the slogan ‘Back British Cement’ is to arrive in Westminster on July 27 as part of plans drawn up by Breedon Group, one of the UK’s biggest cement manufacturers.

There is hope the demonstration will have the same impact as the recent protests by farmers over Labour’s inheritance tax changes, which saw dozens of tractors park up near Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament.

The intervention comes as cement bosses warn that, due to recent changes in the US and the EU, which have blocked cheap imports of the material from overseas, Britain had been left as a sitting duck with its producers unable to compete due to high energy costs. 

It echoes similar warnings from the steel industry that the UK’s lax import controls mean producers of cheap steel, such as China, can flood the British market with cheaper goods, making it impossible for local firms to compete.

The cement bosses argue that the material, which is used in housebuilding, infrastructure and defence construction, is just as vital as steel for the UK’s economic security.

‘A strong British cement industry is fundamental to the UK’s economic growth,’ Breedon boss Rob Wood told The Mail on Sunday.

‘If the Government is serious about its ambitions, it must ensure British cement producers can compete on a level playing field. ’