Why is the City of York Council promoting French trading in our city when we are being advised to boycott French goods in our shops in retaliation for the illegal French ban?

And not only on the sale of our beef in France, but the transporting of our meat through France to European Union members and customers further afield?

Why is the council condoning the French attitude towards us by allowing the French market in Parliament Street in December?

Surely they should have set an example and refused permission in a stand against this illegality.

Their 'pet' answer will be that these tenders are not involved in their government's stance against British beef.

But rest assured these are the very people that blocked the ferries and roads, struggled with our drivers and set fire to our articulated lorries during the lamb dispute.

They would relish another opportunity to protect their own beef sales.

If the council won't rescind permission for this French market, can we, the York citizens not organise a protest advising people not to buy these French goods?

We ought to send them back home believing that the British do still have a 'backbone' when the chips are down and are willing to fight this French injustice.

Who needs enemies when we've got 'friends' like the French and Germans in the Europen Union?

P Wallis,

Hopgrove Lane North,

Malton Road, York.

...British farmers have implemented every regulation and precaution required of them to ensure that British beef is amongst the safest in the world.

Our efforts have been supervised and approved by the EU Commission every step of the way. As a result the Commission agreed to lift the ban on August 1 this year - National British Beef Day.

The French Government's decision to maintain its ban is a blatant breach of EU law and a cruel blow to British beef farmers. The French Government have no new evidence on which to base this action. Their national ban is illegal and must not be allowed to stand.

British farmers insist that:

uThe French Government lifts the export ban now.

u The EU authorities enforce EU law.

u The British Government continues to fight our corner.

How can you help Britain's beleaguered farmers?

uWrite to your MP and MEP to express your support for British beef and your disgust at the French action.

Tell your supermarket and local store, hotel and restaurants that you are backing British food and will not be buying French produce.

On behalf of Britain's farmers, thank you for your much-valued support.

Ben Gill,

NFU President,

North East Region,

Tadcaster Road,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.