by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Small firms across the county have won an MP's support in their fight against further blockades of French ports.

A petition by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which has 6,500 members in Kent and Medway, has attracted the signature of Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury and Whitstable.

The campaign was triggered by a blockade of Calais, Dunkirk, Dieppe and Boulogne by French fishermen between April 14 and 18 in protest at EU fishing quotas.

The protest triggered Operation Stack, which forces HGVs to park up on the M20 and disrupts traffic flows across the county. Kent Police estimates that Stack costs the force £15,000 a day and takes up to 90 officers away from their usual work.

Mr Brazier said: "I am signing the FSB petition as I understand their concerns on this matter. I have already written to the Ministers of Transport and Agriculture about this issue urging them to press the French government on this matter and if necessary to take it to the EU. I have also signed Early Day Motion 1985 in the House of Commons."

Tony Pringle, the FSB's East Kent Branch chairman, added: "The FSB has lodged a formal complaint to the European Commission stating that the French Government is in breach of Articles 28 and 29 and that the Commission should take action against them to prevent such blockades in the future."

Kent County Council is also backing the campaign, claiming that businesses and residents affected by French strike action could have a case for compensation against the French government.

More information at www.stoptheblockades.org