Letter: Animals are not sacks of flour - and British lamb cannot be French

Sir: Thank goodness our Minister of Agriculture has at last seen sense regarding the transportation of live animals ('Shephard gives in to animal lobby', 21 June). We all know of the horrendous conditions lambs are subjected to when exported live.

As export marketing manager of a large lamb export abattoir in Bedfordshire, I am not trying to ban the export of live animals, but I do feel that exporters should be subjected to the same strict veterinary controls that are applied at abattoirs, and when live animals are imported into the UK.

Some abattoir owners might not agree with me on a maximum eight-hour journey time - if a journey is needed at all - as there is plenty of capacity in the UK to slaughter all the lambs for export without the need to export them live.

Yours faithfully,

DENNIS KNIGHT

Canvin International

Cardington,

Bedfordshire

21 June