Plain sailing for livestock ferry
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• A new cross-Channel livestock ferry service is expected to be launched following its second trial run from Plymouth to Cherbourg on Monday.
This follows a number of administrative problems on MT Shipping's first trial run last week.
Only six hauliers were allowed to take their vehicles on the first trial last week after another three failed to produce the correct paperwork. This led to a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) and MT Shipping management.
But following the successful second test run MAFF is not aware of any further problems which could stop the six-days-aweek service.
But animal rights campaigners are protesting about the development. They have urged the company to give up its new service and to join the larger ferry companies in their livestock ban.
Peter Stevenson, the political and legal director of Compassion in World Fanning says: "We are disgusted that some people are still trying to continue this trade. I'd ask both exporters and hauliers to pull out of this traffic and go for the carcass trade."
Animal rights groups intend to hold demonstrations at Plymouth and to write to the owners of the port.
"We will continue to protest lawfully and peacefully to try to get people to change their minds. The weight of public opinion on the subject is such that we hope we will be successful," says Stevenson.
MT Shipping, a company set up by London-based MDT Holdings, had attempted to run livestock services from other ports, including Sheerness.