If a fluorescent bulb flickers incessantly, does that mean it needs replacing?

[scampadoodle]

Have tried tapping it & taking it out & putting it back in again but it still flickers like it's in the window of a backstreet porn shop.

yes.

A tube, you mean?

Might be the starter, if it's an old fitting. Try pressing it (it's the cylinder thingie which is set into the light fixture). That might sort it. Modern fittings may not have them though.

Is the tube going dark near the ends? That's a sign that the tube is knackered and needs replacing.

Some handy hints here.

Cheers WWB, that site was useful. I will go & inspect the tube for darkness...

Thanks, both of you.