A builder says he is close to giving up hope of finding a labourer after telling 'snowflakes' not to apply with his company.

Walderslade man Adam Weedon of AD-A-Brick Building Services advertised for a new labourer, stating: "Full time labouring position, pay dependent on experience, hard work so no snowflakes need apply.

"Driving licence preferred or close to Walderslade."

The 40-year-old dad of four posted the no-nonsense advert after being let down by a string of workers over the course of the year, but says new applicants again let him down - with the most recent even failing to turn up.

"I put the snowflake one up before Christmas," said Adam. "I had gone through a few labourers - just shy of ten - they just couldn't handle the hard work.

"I had one who was doing alright but he had to drop out because he was ill. You just can't find them."

He said it was clear there was a poor work ethic among the younger generation, adding: "Everyone says it. There's no kids coming through from college. They want to be on the X-Box all day. It's hard, I've been doing it 25 years.

"What I'm doing at the moment isn't that hard, but it's the digging out and other jobs they can't hack. They're all on their phones. Their misses or mum is asking what time they're home, and they're saying 'I'll be back home at 3." No, you'll work until 4, 4.30pm."

"I put the ad up and started someone the first week back in the New Year. He had to stop to do a text and have a fag. That's no good for me.

"Then I had one and he didn't turn up yesterday."

Now Adam says he's resolved to working without help for the time being.

"I'll just go on my own," he said. "It's just easier plodding along on my own - unless a miraculous one turns up.

"You get more done with two of you. Right now I have to knock up and lay slabs, but if you've got a labourer, they would be knocking up.

"It's all I know. If I want money, I have to plod on."

But while Adam might have fair reason to complain about the lack of labourers, he can't complain about the free advertising - so far his job advert has won the attention of several national news sites and even been covered in France.

So just in case this story gets to France too - Adam doesn't want any 'flocons de neige' either.