The latest State of Trade Survey from the Federation of Master Builders shows dire shortages of bricklayers and plasterers.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “More than a third of construction SMEs tell us that they are struggling to recruit the bricklayers they need to stay on top of their workloads.

“Plasterers are almost as difficult to come by with 27% of firms saying they are having difficulty finding these skilled tradesmen.

“The results act as a stark warning that the government must not take the recovery in the construction sector for granted.

“Although this snapshot of small construction firms marks the fifth consecutive quarter of positive results, if we don’t have enough of the right people to complete the work, private and public projects could be stalled across the board.”