The shocking truth behind the BSE fiasco has now been brought to light.

The inquiry report has shown that the Tory Government was more preoccupied with preventing panic amongst and not losing face with the British public because they believed the risk to humans was remote.

The report blamed the BSE disaster on intensive farming practices and the feeding of infected animal remains to cows.

It is thought that mad cow disease and the CJD variant was caused by genetic mutation and that the damage may have started 30 years ago. Now we are going through exactly the same scenario with genetically modified foods that have only been grown for about four years commercially abroad.

The Labour Government is spending millions of pounds trying to convince a sceptical British public that the risks of eating GM food are also remote, despite scientific evidence that shows otherwise and whilst the potential threat to wildlife is only just being explored.

The Government is about to allow a GM fodder maize to be grown commercially in the UK that will be fed to cows.

We are told that the foreign genetic material taken from viruses and bacteria in the GM maize will break down in the gut of the cow this mechanism was also predicted to stop the BSE and CJD precursor from infecting cattle and humans.

Unlike human food it is not necessary to label animal feed that contains GM so you don't know if you are eating meat or dairy produce derived from GM feed.

The public are crying out for more organic food in order to avoid eating GM produce and pesticide residues. Others eat organic food in order to help our ailing farmland wildlife to recover, yet there is little money spent on organic farming research.

The statistics speak for themselves; BSE has cost the taxpayer £6bn so far. In 1988, £52 million was spent on GM crop research but only £2.2 million was spent on organic farming research.

When will we ever stop mad government disease?

JEAN SAUNDERS

Co-ordinator

Swindon Friends of the Earth

Longcot