BLACKBURN'S Euro MP is championing the cause of potato power to make transport more environmentally friendly.

Chris Davies is calling on the government to increase the use of biofuels, made from wheat, potatoes and other agricultural crops, and already used by more than 100,000 drivers in Germany.

The biofuels have low greenhouse gas emissions and could help reduce global warming.

The European Parliament recently recommended they should make up two per cent of road transport fuels by 2005.

But Mr Davies says the 20 per cent per litre reduction in bioethanol announced in this month's budget did not go far enough.

He said: "Biofuels are more expensive than fossil fuels and a reduction in duty of a further 6p to 10p a litre is needed to allow environmentally-friendly fuel to compete at the pumps.

"The onus is now on the government to remove taxation as the main stumbling block to a flourishing biofuel industry in the UK."

Biofuels are already tax free in Italy and Germany, where more than 100,000 drivers use the green alternative.

Drivers of diesel cars can already fill up with vegetable oil legally, provided they pay excise duty of 26p a litre.