I EXPECT readers will be surprised to hear that something that would be illegal to produce in Britain is freely on sale across the country, and is very likely on sale near them right now.

That product is foie gras. Anyone trying to produce it here would be liable to end up in court on animal cruelty charges, but nothing yet controls its importation into this country.

Foie gras is the grossly enlarged liver of a duck or goose and is essentially a disease, marketed as a delicacy.

Birds raised for this ‘gourmet’ cruelty are force-fed enormous quantities of food through a long metal pipe, often three times a day.

This process of deliberate and painful overfeeding continues for up to a month by which time the birds’ livers have swelled to 10 times their normal size. Every year in France, around a million ducks die during this period of force-feeding.

You also have to ask yourself what is the point of sovereign welfare laws when something such as foie gras can be imported freely into Britain? That is why we are asking the Government to get tough on animal cruelty by calling for an import ban.

Local people also have the power to end the sale of foie gras by not visiting establishments which sell it. To sign our petition to support a ban visit viva.org.uk/foiegras or contact us at Viva!, at the address below or Bristol BS2 8QH or call 0117 944 1000.

JUSTIN KERSWELL Viva! campaigns manager 8 York Court Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8QH