French-born restaurateur slams beef ban

A French-born restaurateur in Wolverhampton is trying to rally support for joint legal action against the French government because its continued ban on British beef has hurt his business.

Franck Choblet, who has lived in England for 20 years and championed British beef even during the BSE crisis, says he is "appalled" at the actions of the French government and regards taking legal action against it as "a matter of principle" as well as a means of seeking compensation for lost trade.

Although Choblet has replaced all French produce with substitutes at his 80-seat Café Louise, he says some consumers have been boycotting the restaurant in protest against the French embargo, while those coming in have questioned the origins of his ingredients.