Welsh delay Irish beef. • • by Karen Miles •
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Irish hauliers are threatening an end to their "polite response" to British port blockades if Welsh farmers continue their campaign of disruption.
The threat follows delays suffered by more than 20 trucks early last week as they disembarked from the Rosslare ferry at Fishguard to be greeted by up to 150 Welsh farmers protesting about Irish beef imports.
Vehicles carrying computers, shoe polish and horse feed, as well as beef, were caught up in the 14hour delay. Operators fear the action could mark the re-emergence of last winter's mass protests by Welsh farmers at their country's ports.
"The polite response hasn't worked very well so far and we have had to take it on the chin," says Irish Road Haulage Association spokesman Jimmy Quinn. "But if it happens again hauliers have told us they want a more radical response."
Irish trucks operating traffic go-slows through the streets of London cannot be ruled out, he warns.
Dyfed and Powys police negotiated with the farmers from 01:30hrs on Monday 15 June to clear the port, but only succeeded when they threatened to impound the farmers' tractors and make arrests for blocking the highway.
The police force denies that it has been too lenient on protesters: but it has only charged two people with public order offences following the half-dozen protests that have taken place since the beginning of December 1997 at the ports of Fishguard and Pembroke.