MEPs have spoken in glowing terms about the new Euro-wide arrest warrant and the beefing up of Europol. But past experience should have taught us to distrust anything coming from Brussels (apart from sprouts).

The EU have long wanted to create a Europe-wide police and justice system as part of the construction of their superstate, but were held back because of public resistance.

September 11 allowed them to dust off this measure and rush it through.

Fighting terrorism is of paramount importance and at first glance this seems like a sensible idea, but this measure would not have prevented the Twin Towers attacks. Let us think carefully what this order means in practice.

If a court in, say, Sicily suspected you of a crime they could issue a warrant and the UK police would whisk you off to Palermo. There, you would be left to fend for yourself under their very different kind of justice, far away from friends and family, everything strange an in Italian and no assistance from the British Consul.

But you may say, "I am a law abiding citizen, it wouldn't happen to an ordinary person like me." Well, tell that to the British plane spotters handcuffed in a Greek jail.

Beware of this Euro-warrant. Don't believe a word about it being to fight terrorism. It is just another excuse to grab more power for the bureaucrats and knock another nail in the coffin of British independence.

GRAHAM CANNON, UK

Independence Party, Cocker

Hill, Foulridge, Colne.