Puffins blockade McVitie's

Around 150 Greenpeace activists dressed as puffins blocked the entrance to a biscuit factory yesterday in protest at the use of "industrial" fish oil in foods.

The demonstration, which launched a campaign against industrial fishing for sand eels in the North Sea, took place at McVitie's in Harlesden, north-west London. Greenpeace claimed that puffins' food supply was being threatened. A spokesman for the environmental organisation said McVitie's used around 6,000 tons of fish oil in their biscuits each year.

United Biscuits said later yesterday: "United Biscuits is concerned about the depletion of fish stocks in the North Sea and other fisheries. We understand that industrial fishing is one of the main contributory factors ... UB has committed to cease the use of fish oil from non-sustainable industrial fishing in European waters within one year and to work towards a position where all fish products are sourced from sustainable sources."