FIFTY-two years ago British soldiers were fighting and dying for freedom in some of the bloodiest battles after D Day in order to free Europe from the German hordes.

Hundreds were killed, thousands wounded at Caen. Now, in 1996, British truck drivers were trapped, hungry and thirsty in the Caen area, many self-employed and have probably lost their livelihoods.

Caen is on the main route to Le Havre. Imagine if British drivers were blockading Canterbury and preventing foreign traffic from proceeding to Dover.

You can bet the British police would be there in hundreds arresting our drivers in order that foreign nationals could proceed.

The majority of Euro MPs representing the UK are Labour and the biggest flop of all is the unelected Euro Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock in this easy, cushy, overpaid position.

Where is this failed politician? What is he doing to earn his money? Nothing.

Will the European courts pay all these British hauliers and drivers compensation?

No chance! Europe is a failure, so let's get out now.

MAURICE McHUGH, Marlowe Crescent, Great Harwood.

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