High street retailer Shoe Zone has warned over the Middle East war pushing up business costs and adding to shoppers’ worries as it reported widening losses. The chain, which runs 259 stores, has been shutting shops and is in the process of cutting the size of its warehouse. It reported a pre-tax loss of £5.3 million for the six months to March 28, widening from the £2.3 million loss reported the same time last year. Revenues fell by 12% year-on-year to £62.9 million, which was partly due to there being 19 fewer stores than the year before after a series of closures. But Shoe Zone also blamed slower trading on consumers being less confident to spend as a result of the two latest Government budget announcements and, more recently, the war in Iran . This was resulting in fewer visitors to shops and less spending on nonessential items, according to the firm.…