FARMERS leaders today today welcomed the arrival of new posters at airports and ports aimed at helping to control the importation of food, drink and plants into Britain.
The posters, described as "the latest step in a concerted effort to tackle the problem" of illegal imports, follow tireless campaigning by the NFU after the foot and mouth outbreak.
But despite welcoming the move, NFU President Ben Gill said: "There is still much more to be done."
The NFU handed over a 30,000 signature petition calling for action on import controls to Agriculture Minister Lord Whitty at the Labour Party Conference in October as part of the NFU's Stamp Out Illegal Imports campaign.
The extent of the challenge was highlighted today with news of the seizure of 315 kgs of prohibited food at Heathrow Airport during an exercise just last week, and on a day when wildlife conservationists described the UK as a "soft touch" for smugglers of rare and protected
species.
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