Fishing protest blocks booze cruises

Hundreds of angry trawlermen from across Europe will paralyse the world's busiest shipping lane today in a protest at drastic cuts in fishing quotas.

British fishermen will join the continental demonstration which will see a massive floating blockade set up at all the major channel ports including Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk.

The industrial action is expected to cause widespread misery to thousands of British booze-cruisers who had planned to travel to France to stock up for Christmas.

The strikes, which will end at 4pm today, will prevent any ferries from docking and will also hit the French ports of Cherbourg and Le Havre with several local and regional demonstrations also planned.

However British ferry company P&O said it planned to operate " nonlanding mini cruises" allowing ferries to open their cut price on-board shops to day-trippers once they are inside French territorial waters.

The company is operating four, fourhour cruises out of Dover today. Once ferries have reached the half-way point, shops will sell drinks and cigarettes at lower French prices.

A spokesman for P&O said: "We have pledged to ensure day-trippers can carry on Christmas shopping."