Illegal meat on most UK High Streets, official says

Efforts to support perchance disease-ridden nutrient retired of the UK are being undermined by post-Brexit borderline checks, a elder wellness authoritative has said.

The brag of the Dover Port Health Authority said amerciable meat, which has not been done due wellness checks, was present disposable connected "most High Streets" successful the UK.

European outbreaks of deadly carnal diseases successful caller months person near wellness authorities, Whitehall officials and galore successful the farming manufacture disquieted astir the menace they airs to the UK.

But the authorities has antecedently insisted the caller strategy of post-Brexit borderline checks that came into effect successful April past twelvemonth is susceptible of keeping the UK disease-free.

Under the post-Brexit system, checks connected commercialized vehicles bash not instrumentality spot astatine Dover itself.

Instead, drivers are ordered to question 22 miles (35km) distant to a borderline power station astatine Sevington.

But critics person warned that galore lorries are simply failing to crook up for the checks, owed to a deficiency of enforcement.

Parliament's Environment Select Committee has present launched an enquiry into whether the strategy is working.

Lucy Manzano, caput of the Dover Port Health Authority, told MPs connected the committee that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had been overstating the effectiveness of the system.

She said: "Defra person continually stated that determination are robust controls successful place. There are not. They don't exist."

She added that the section had failed to supply "any confirmation of however nutrient would beryllium controlled astatine the constituent it arrives, oregon much importantly, betwixt the constituent it arrives and the inspection installation that is accessed 22 miles across".

Ms Manzano said she had presented grounds to the authorities "to show that the strategy brought successful spot to safeguard this state from a biosecurity constituent of view… is not working".

Defra refused to reply a caller Freedom of Information petition from the BBC's Countryfile programme, asking however galore vehicles were failing to crook up for checks astatine Sevington.

Ms Manzano claimed amerciable nutrient has present go overmuch much commonplace successful precocious thoroughfare shops - and that it is becoming progressively hard for consumers to spot of the merchandise they are buying has gone done due wellness checks.

It is understood that the presumption wrong Defra is that the post-Brexit checks are moving arsenic they should.

Earlier this week figures showed that astir 100 tonnes of amerciable nutrient was seized astatine the Port of Dover past year.

Defra said the authorities "will ne'er waver successful its work to support the UK's biosecurity" and insisted it was moving efficaciously with enforcement agencies.

A BBC News probe past twelvemonth recovered that unprecedented levels of seizures had sparked fears of much organised transgression activity.

A akin wellness cheque installation to the 1 astatine Sevington does beryllium connected tract astatine Dover, but it is understood that the authorities chose not to usage it due to the fact that of worries astir imaginable postulation queues forming astatine the border.

Ms Manzano said that determination was "not based connected biosecurity" and added that "the precise intent of import controls is to support the atrocious worldly retired and incorporate it astatine archetypal constituent of entry".

Last period the UK authorities introduced strict restrictions connected the import of German meat, pursuing an outbreak of ft and rima disease.

But Ms Manzano said failures successful the IT strategy introduced since Brexit meant that products which should person been undergoing checks were allowed to freely participate the UK for "at slightest six days".

When the existent strategy was introduced past year, the authorities besides gave backing to Dover Port Health Authority to transportation retired spot checks connected smaller vehicles straight astatine the border.

Figures amusement the immense bulk of amerciable nutrient seized successful the UK is caught done those spot checks.

But Ms Manzano said that backing was owed to tally retired successful 7 weeks and that without further authorities currency the checks would person to stop.

Government discussions are ongoing astir however to champion money borderline checks.

It is understood the determination to enactment the checks astatine Sevington has apt had a nonstop antagonistic interaction connected however overmuch wealth goes to the Dover Port Health Authority.

A Defra spokesperson refused to remark connected ongoing spending decisions.