Help UK ceramics industry or ‘lose piece of national identity’, government told

Unions and thinktank urge action to save sector hit by sky-high energy bills, cheap imports and underinvestment

Britain will lose a piece of its national identity if the country's ceramics industry is allowed to descend further into crisis without state assistance, the government has been warned.

Ceramics producers including the struggling potteries of Staffordshire have come under huge pressure owing to factors such as the UK's sky-high energy costs, leading to job losses.