Fish trucks netted in French blockade
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• Around 50 British truck drivers carrying fish were stranded overnight at Boulogne last weekend, as French fishermen blocked roads into the port with blazing barricades.
None of the drivers, their vehicles or loads were harmed by the pickets, who were protesting about a European Community decision to force them to use larger mesh fishing nets. Police did not try to free the Britons until Monday morning, say drivers from the three firms involved, Ayr-based Alexander J Anderson, and Charles Alexander and Deep Freeze Supplies of Aberdeen. They were trapped for around 10 hours. The action is bound to provoke fresh calls by UK ministers for the French government to get tough on farmers and other pro testors who terrorise British truck drivers.
Cl As CM went to press, several British lorries were caught up in a 1,000-truck go-slow by French hauliers on major French highways. The operators, who blocked the A10, A6, A7 and A47, were protesting about what they see as their government's failure to protect the industry against foreign competition.