CAN I implore the people of Yorkshire not to be tempted to buy gifts this Christmas that could encourage the deplorable trade in dog and cat fur.

Many shops throughout Europe are selling cute little furry kitten figurines. They are usually depicted sleeping in tiny wicker baskets. These are the kinds of gifts that animal lovers adore.

What many consumers are not aware of, however, is that the fur used for these little figurines can be real cat or dog fur.

DNA tests carried out at the University of Amsterdam laboratories proved that identical cat figurines were, in fact, made from the fur of domestic dogs.

The animals used for this trade are raised under deplorable conditions and killed solely for their skins and furs. Stray dogs and cats are often rounded up and killed for their fur and even domestic pets are stolen to meet the growing demand for these products.

Nearly two million dogs and cats die in this trade annually in China alone.

While the EU can take stringent measures in respect of animal welfare within its own borders, under World Trade Organisation rules animal welfare provisions cannot be made a condition for banning imports from third countries.

In an effort to stop this trade I have been working with Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, the EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner, to introduce a Europe-wide ban. His staff are working flat out to establish a legal basis for such a ban.

Timothy Kirkhope,

MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber,

Main Street,

Scotton,

Knaresborough.

Updated: 09:09 Tuesday, December 13, 2005