CRAVEN consumers and traders are getting behind the area's farmers by supporting them in their battle to get a French ban on British beef overturned.

The French government is refusing to allow the sale of British beef, even though it has now been given the all-clear following the recent mad cow disease scare.

Now French farmers themselves are under the spotlight after admitting some give their animals feed made from recycled human waste - a product banned by the EU eight years ago.

Many Craven shoppers are showing their support for British produce by checking with shops and stores that the products they buy haven't been imported from France.

And one Skipton market trading family has even taken the bold step of removing any French products from its stall.

Lawson's cheese stall, on the High Street, has taken French cheese out of its range and refuses to sell it until the meat ban is lifted.

Hazel Lawson, who runs two stalls with husband Malcolm and son Darren, told the Herald she had taken between eight and 10 French cheeses off each stall.

She has decided to put up posters informing shoppers about the hardship farmers were facing because of the French authorities.

"We stopped selling the cheese after a number of tourists said traders in this country should take a stand," said Hazel.

Hazel hopes that others will follow in her footsteps and together, by blocking French trade, they could support the farmers in these difficult times.

Skipton butcher Robert Clarke, of PE Sutcliffe, Otley Street, said he had had customers asking where the meat he sold came from.

"It's all locally produced, but customers are checking to make sure they're not buying French products," he said.

Skipton's Tesco store is helping customers recognise French products by putting together an information leaflet.

The leaflet, which should be in the store by tomorrow (Saturday), lists the top 20 best-selling French products and their British equivalents.

"Rather than take away people's choice, we're providing information for them to make an informed decision," said a Tesco spokesman.

However, both Tesco and Morrisons said they were not removing any French products from their shelves.

Skipton MP David Curry has held a meeting with the French Ambassador in London to urge the French government to lift the ban on British beef imports immediately.

He says unless something is done urgently, France could face a major trade war.

Mr Curry said British farmers struggling to cope with the worst recession in a generation could not understand how Paris could fly in the face of advice on food safety.

He told the ambassador "The French Government has got itself into a hole and it needs to find a way out urgently. If this matter is not resolved rapidly it will escalate into a full scale conflict which will spill over onto a large range of matters on which the two governments need to co-operate."

It is not only the French Government that Mr Curry had harsh words for, he believes the British Government isn't doing enough.

"British farming is suffering a massive haemorrhage if Tony Blair doesn't take the crisis seriously soon there won't be a lot of British farming left to save," declared Mr Curry.

"He could begin by lifting the ridiculous beef on the bone ban which even his own farm minister has said is no longer justified.

"The first thing the French do is point out our own continuing ban on beef on the bone as a justification for raising doubts about the safety of our meat."

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