UNION leaders representing thousands of East Lancashire manufacturing workers have warned major job losses in the industry will continue unless the Government acts.

The GMB claims jobs 250,000 have been lost in manufacturing -- which dominates the local economy -- since the general election.

And it said 28,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost in the first four months of this year alone.

In East Lancashire major manufacturers including Presspart in Blackburn, Caligen Foam in Accrington and Viktor Achter in Burnley have all announced job losses in the last few weeks.

The GMB's report also claims that the number of factory workers has fallen from 18 per cent of the total workforce in 1996 to 16.5 per cent now.

General secretary John Edmonds said: "UK industry is not facing an inflation crisis or a sterling crisis, it is facing a manufacturing crisis on a scale not seen since the darkest days of Thatcherism.

"Thousands of jobs are being lost every week in the very heartland areas that the Labour Party is supposed to be cultivating in the run up to the next general election.

"Unless action is taken to ease pressure on manufacturers then the political, economic and social consequences for this government will be dire."