EVERYONE who has been abroad and seen the lower prices of goods in other countries knows we are being ripped off in Britain. At last, the government shares the same suspicion. The investigation ordered by Trade Minister Stephen Byers is long overdue.

And on top of naming and shaming overcharging firms and industries, a fair deal for consumers needs to hurried along by punitive fines for the profiteers.

The crackdown should start with cars, followed fast by a probe of supermarket prices. We have been soaked too much and too long already.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.