THE price of your doorstep pinta is to rise by a penny throughout East Lancashire from this weekend.

Local milkmen are being faced with extra costs from the main dairies that supply them and most are set to put up prices by 1p a pint from Sunday.

However, some could try to maintain their existing prices to undercut the competition, sparking a price war.

Geoffrey Ainsworth, of the Hutton Street Dairy, Blackburn, said most milkmen had no alternative but to pass on the charge.

"We are supplied by MD Foods and they are putting the price up by 1p so we've no option but to do the same.

"We can't carry the costs any longer.

"It's two years since the last price rise and there aren't many other things that have not gone up in that time. It's unfortunate but there it is." Nelson and Colne milkman Edward Spencer added: "They have held the price as long as they can but I think it might meet with a bit of resistance from customers. I know a lot of milkmen are unhappy about it."

The main local suppliers like MD Foods and Waterford Dairies blame the increase on rising costs of things such as diesel, wages and even the price of milk bottles.

A spokesman for Waterford said: "This is a modest increase and it is the first for two years. It's still competitively priced when you consider the service you get."

The price makes delivered pintas more expensive compared to supermarket milk, sparking more fears that the days of the milkman are numbered.

However, the Waterford spokesman said: "It is very competitive but we as a company are fully committed to doorstep delivery and we are investing to maintain the service."

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