JUST over two years ago, our beef was declared safe for export by the European Commission. The French government refused to lift their ban on it in blatant contravention of the European Union regulations, not because our beef was unsafe, but to protect their own farmers!

Our then Minister of Agriculture, Nick Brown, took France to the European Court of Justice. It has just ruled (two years on, remember) that the French ban is illegal and they must allow imports of British beef into France immediately.

On March 12 the French Government said they would not lift the ban. What is the point of being in the European Union when the French break rules to suit themselves while we cripple our industries to keep them?

GRAHAM CANNON, UK Independence Party, East Lancashire, 52 Bank Parade, Burnley.