Illegal meat still flooding Britain

Bushmeat suspected of causing Britain's foot-and-mouth disease catastrophe continues to be smuggled in despite government claims that it is stemming the flow.

Customs officers say they are still intercepting large cargoes of putrefying meat and fish during spot checks at Heathrow and Gatwick.

The meat, prized for its delicacy and reputed powers as an aphrodisiac, includes gorillas, snakes, lizards and even tigers and bears.

It arrives in suitcases carried by passengers - mainly from Africa - and sold at ethnic food shops and markets.

Spot checks on luggage arriving at Heathrow from Ghana two weeks ago found up to 300kg of meat products. A similar check at Gatwick discovered 100 kg of chicken, fish and meat in the luggage of passengers from Nigeria.

Inquiries by the Evening Standard found similar consignments coming in regularly at London City Airport and the capital's main shipping ports.

Forty baskets of putrefying hams from China and three tonnes of pork products were discovered in a container ship three months ago at Thamesport on the Isle of Grain. A total of 78 personal luggage bags found to contain meat products were confiscated at London City Airport last year.

John Averns, London's Port Health director, called for more staff and new legislation for greater powers to search bags.

Professor Joe Brownlie, a pathologist at the Royal Veterinary College, believes the illegal imports pose a grave risk. "We don't know what, if any, viruses this meat contains. It could be foot-and-mouth or it could even be some human virus like tuberculosis."

Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has called a forum next month to agree further action.