EAST Lancashire MP Gordon Prentice is urging the government to send artificial limbs to the victims of mutilation in the strife-torn West African country of Sierra Leone.

He spoke out after overseas development minister George Foulkes revealed that all such help was being put through the European Union.

Pendle MP Mr Prentice told the minister that he was horrified by reports of the dreadful mutilations inflicted on people, including children.

Mr Foulkes said there were a variety of EU programmes dealing with the problem but admitted: "We are submitting artificial limbs to victims of mutilation in Sierra Leone."

He said the government was providing humanitarian assistance to the country and considering what more it could do to try and help to bring peace there.

But Mr Prentice said: "Completely blameless people have had their hands chopped off simply because they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"We must do everything we can to stop this barbarism and help those who are the victims of it."

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