AS 2,500 workers from factories across the country -- representing the number of industrial jobs lost every week -- were protesting at the Labour Party conference at huge cuts in manufacturing, the grim reality of the haemorrhage was again felt in East Lancashire.

For the axe came down on the remaining 100 jobs at Crown Wallcoverings in Darwen after its new owner, who bought the famous business out of receivership, decided to move production out of town.

At the same time, more than 70 workers at Blackburn car components manufacturer B. Robinson and Co lost their jobs as the firm shut down -- defeated by competition from low-cost countries.

They are cuts made all the more painful because these firms were part of East Lancashire's industrial heritage -- Crown having been the spiritual home of the UK wallpaper industry since 1839 and Robinson's being founded over 110 years ago.

And though such blows to our region's manufacturing base have been tempered by the creation of many new jobs in the service and commercial sector, the drain on industry is nonetheless worrying. Strong manufacturing skills are still vital to the country's economic future.

Many will hold the government to the pledge delivered yesterday by Chancellor Gordon Brown that procurement policies would be reviewed in a bid to protect manufacturing jobs.