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Britain's historic but struggling textiles businesses have warned the "industry is on its knees" ahead of the spending review on Wednesday. La the UK's last in-house luxury cut crystal glass-maker - favoured by and two - had urged Rachel Reeves not to smash centuries of skills and crafts as they struggled with bills.

Cumbria Crystal in Ulverston, , pleaded for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to give heritage crafts help on energy costs, national insurance, minimum wage or VAT - amid fears their historic industry teeters on extinction. Now ceramics firms in Staffordshire famous potteries - where porcelain at firms like Spode, Minton and Wedgwood were made from the 18th Century - have warned spiralling energy costs and staff costs are crippling them.

Fifth-generation ceramicist Emily Johnson, from one of the oldest traditional Stoke-on-Trent manufacturing families the Johnson brothers, explained: "Our industry is on its knees.

"There is a lot of hope and opportunity, however, we need help. If our industry fails, where do people work?"

we reported on the collapse of historic firm Royal Stafford along with the loss of 70 jobs, followed by Heraldic Pottery going into liquidation, and other firms working on reduced hours.

Then how Moorcroft's trading came to an end. The company stated its energy costs had gone up almost £250,000 over the past two years.

In March, in between the three events, industry bosses and unions pitched a rescue plan to ministers in "make or break" meetings, including 's Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell who said help could not come fast enough.

But Ms Johnson said she believed that while "our local MPs are doing all they can", they were just "getting lip service" from ministerial colleagues.

"We don't need lip service," she : "we need help."

Without it, she added, the future of factories, and the industry itself, were in jeopardy.

In 2011, Ms Johnson established 1882 Ltd, one of the youngest ceramics firms in Staffordshire. She said she did not believe ministers would step in.

The 1882 Ltd firm has a factory within the Wedgwood site in Barlaston, employs 23 potters, and operates ten electric kilns for firing products, as opposed to the traditional gas kilns.

Kiln operator Nathan Platt said that insulating kilns with bricks made them more efficient, however they still used a lot of energy.

"The gas kilns, it's a lot of money. Electric, it's a lot of money. But I'd say electric kilns are smaller, easier to fill, easier to empty quicker," he said.

With an ageing workforce within the industry, there are fears those with specialised skills will literally die out.

Andrew Henshall, a potter for 50 years, and one of only a handful of ceramic modellers left, said he was positive there remained a demand for handmade pieces.

And despite a changing market, he likes an approach that prioritises the potential of the craft.

"It's not who can make the cheapest mug or who can make the cheapest teapot now," he said. "It's often guided by designers who say they want to create a new range, or create something beautiful."

Rob Flello, chief executive of Ceramics UK, said he believed the government was listening, but whether the message cut through to the treasury remained to be seen.

"All we're asking really is that some of the burdens that are placed on our industry are lifted, so those taxes, those levies - get those lifted off."

The Department for Business and Trade said: "Ministers continue to engage closely with the ceramics sector to understand the challenges and provide support, ensuring the industry is globally competitive as part of our Plan for Change."

Cumbria Crystal's CEO Chris Blade, 61, told the Daily Express their bills had soared by 280 per cent since November due to rising energy costs - while skills' shortages are destroying centuries of unique artistry.

Chris told us: "We are the last luxury crystal manufacturer left in the UK, where we make everything in-house.

"We supply to British embassies and consulates around the world. We make for Downton Abbey, Bentley Motors, royalty - always aspiring to make the best using traditional processes.

" used our crystal in Casina Royale, and Pierce Brosnan used a different whiskey glass, in Bond. Even M, Dame Judi Dench, used our crystal as well.

"Energy is absolutely critical for us. We've got some of the highest energy in Europe.

"I know the government need to raise revenue but it will cost the them more if they have lots of people being pushed into unemployment.

"As of November last year, our energy increased by nearly 280%; meaning for a small company once spending about £8,000 or £9,000 net a month on gas alone, suddenly the equivalent to run the same operation was increasing to £24,000 a month.

"And we run two big furnaces where we melt glass. We've had to turn one off just to reduce the consumption. But of course, that also limits our capacity.

"The costs were so high we couldn't continue. So we're now running at 50 per cent capacity, which is a challenge for us because our pieces are all handmade by craftspeople.

"We could fire that furnace up again within a couple of weeks. But the reality is that you have to have enough staff to be able to make it viable."

In a swipe at the government he added: "They've been hammering small businesses for a long time. There may be government support for larger businesses, they keep talking about that.

"But for small businesses, it's a progressive death by a thousand cuts. It doesn't feel there's really any understanding from the government."