ABOUT 100 Members of Parliament from all political parties have signed a Kent MP's new parliamentary motion calling on the Government to ban the export of live farm animals.

Gwyn Prosser, who represents Dover and Deal, has been campaigning against live exports of farm animals since he was a serving Merchant Navy officer, has tabled a new Early Day Motion in the House of Commons.

The motion draws attention to the cruelties caused by long distance transport of lambs and sheep and urges farmers to switch to exports "on the hook rather than on the hoof".

Mr Prosser said: "Since the temporary foot and mouth ban on exports was lifted in July, the mass transport of farm animals through the Port of Dover has re-started. By Christmas some 100,000 lambs and sheep will have crossed the Channel with the sad prospect of long torturous journeys right across mainland Europe."

"This is a cruel and unnecessary trade in animal misery and I want to see an end to it."

Mr Prosser's motion points out he long journeys the animals face from Britain, sometimes as long as 50 hours, and suggests there is an economically viable future for UK sheep farmers without live exports

It also urges UK supermarkets to pay a fair price to UK farmers for lambs.