United Kingdom-Local Butcher supporting British pork.

A GORING butcher has thrown his backing behind a national campaign to protect British pork.

Chris White, owner of J. Knight butchers’ shop in The Strand, plans to offer special discounts on British produce to try to counter the threat of cheap, low-quality foreign pork.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has warned the British pork industry could disappear within 10 years without support and MPs have revealed two-thirds of imported sausges and bacon may come from conditions which would be illegal here.

"There’s a lot of British pork farms going under," said Mr White.

"A lot of foreign pork coming into this country is of a much lower standard.

"If we bred pigs in this country, the way they do in other European countries, we wouldn’t be allowed to sell it."

Mr White has used pigs bred at Plumpton College, near Lewes, for almost 20 years.

The college, which runs a commercial pig unit, prides itself on its high standards and teaches animal welfare to vets, agricultural trainees and other students.

Meanwhile, foreign pig farms are happy to use a form of battery pig-farming, in which the animals are caged and kept virtually immobile, said Mr White.

"Animal welfare is a big thing. They are teaching the students from the word go how to look after their pigs.

"The standards there are at the highest because they’re teaching people the best way to do it.

"There’s just not many pork farms these days because the money’s not there.

"If shops can buy cheaper Danish or Polish produce, they will.

"Unless we support the British pork industry, we are going to lose it. There’s no doubt about it."