A FORMER pilot behind a booming painting firm has revealed his trouble finding skilled apprentices.

Ex-RAF man Ian Hewitt, set up Heritage Painting in June 2011 after a back injury caused him to leave the forces.

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Now the 36-year-old, who repainted the famous Flying Scotsman locomotive, has sewn up a string of lucrative jobs, but has seen repeated attempts to recruit trainees hit the buffers.

Mr Hewitt said he hoped to recruit four 16 to 18-year-old school leavers in the next few months as the firm was on track to find a permanent Blackburn base.

He said: “At the minute we usually work out of the East Lancashire Railway but we're working with the council to find a workshop in Blackburn big enough to house the engines.

“We have tried everything to recruit school leavers who just want to get their hands dirty but we always seem to attract the trainspotter element.

“It's a chance to learn on the job, get NVQs and discover a well-paid trade, but we only ever hear from people with previous experience in different fields that doesn't really translate.

“We want kids straight from school who are willing and able with an open mind about what we do.”

Mr Hewitt, the firm's director, currently employs four people and wants to add two more staff by the end of October, with another two vacancies to be filled later this year.

The father-of-four, who lives with his wife Clare, a teacher at St John the Baptist RC Primary School in Padiham and is originally from Fernhurst, Blackburn, said finding a permanent workshop was 'the next organic step' for the company.

He said: “I started out as a volunteer at the East Lancashire Railway and then went it alone and it just kept growing. It's an exciting time for us and we're very proud of the body of work we've completed and got lined up.”

Anyone interested in becoming an apprentice should e-mail info@heritage-painting.com