IT'S about time the Eurocrats in Brussels put their foot down!

When are they going to realise that there will always be an anti-Europe backlash in Britain until they are seen to be doing their jobs properly and not making the rules up as they go along!

The poor farmers of this country, including the Dales, have seen their livelihoods disappear because the row about beef refuses to go away.

And just when they're beginning to poke their heads above the water once more and start to re-build the shattered agriculture industry, another problem comes along to kick them in the teeth.

This time it's the French, who still insist that British beef is not safe to eat despite this country having the toughest safety measures of any country across the EU.

Our meat remains banned in France - which is illegal.

All this from a country which has admitted that its farmers have been giving beef cattle feed made from recycled human waste, breaking rules imposed by Europe eight years ago - which is also illegal.

It is believed it was contaminated feed - thought to be animal remains - which led to the outbreak of BSE, or mad cow disease, in the first place.

This, in turn, led to the ban on British beef and was one of the factors which contributed to the near collapse of the industry in this country.

Now French farmers are worried that their hypocritical line over the past few years is going to see their products taken off the shelves.

But top politicians have insisted that a tit-for-tat trade war would not be in the interest of either country.

If the faceless officials in the EU are not prepared to introduce the same stringent safety measures across Europe that British farmers are having to adhere to, then the Great British consumer should show his or her contempt.

Here in Craven, shoppers are already beginning to boycott French items.

Traders in Skipton have been approached by shoppers concerned about the sale of produce from across the Channel.

One trading family has even taken the step of highlighting the fact that its stall doesn't sell French food by putting up large signs and removing French products from sale.

Maybe trade wars are not the answer because it'll be like an angry baby throwing its rattle out of the pram.

But at least let's have fair play across Europe and enforcement of the rules. After all, the main reason for the setting up of the Common Market was to standardise trade and make everyone equal.

While the row rumbles on, shoppers in Craven can help their local farmers by buying British and putting British products back on the map where they belong. Our farmers deserve it.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.