IS East Lancashire on the verge of seeing the death of the tradesman?

With hundreds of plumbers, builders and roofers facing massive hikes in insurance premiums, many say they will have no option but to cease trading.

Of course spiralling insurance costs are determined to an extent by market forces, as the humble householder can testify.

But when the increased premiums threaten so many livelihoods -- and in turn, the needs of the community as a whole -- isn't this an issue which needs to be addresssed?

Skilled tradesmen should be appreciated rather than driven out of business. We are not talking here about the cowboy operators who have given the humble tradesman a bad name, but the good old fashioned craftsman who takes a pride in his work and guarantees a good job.

Already it is becoming increasingly difficult to find someone to fix that dripping tap or leaky guttering. If the full impact of 400 per cent insurance hikes are felt, then getting the right man for the job will prove impossible.

The knock-on of this could be a rise in botched DIY jobs. At best this would lead to yet more rises in insurance premiums and at worst an increase in the number of householders requiring hospital treatment.

The days when jobs required you to serve your time as an apprentice are long gone, but surely there is scope in this day and age for nurturing the talents of skilled craftsmen rather than just sitting back and watching them go to the wall.

Another point to bear in mind is that the fewer craftsmen around, the more a monopoly situation arises, leaving householders paying hugely inflated prices to get the job done.

Perhaps our elected representatives need to call in the insurance companies and 'have a word' before they have yet another crisis on their hands -- that of a serious skills shortage.