Welsh plant blockaded over Irish beef

About 500 Welsh farmers blockaded a meat-packing plant in Wales last night in the latest protest against beef imports from Ireland.Demonstrators surrounded refrigerated lorries parked at the premises of Dawn Pack on the Cross Hands industrial estate in Carmarthenshire, west Wales.One vehicle was stopped and searched but later allowed to leave.A delegation of Welsh farmers met plant managers to complain about the use of Irish meat.Police were at the scene and there were no reports of trouble.A farmers' spokesman said the peaceful demonstration was one of the biggest since the renewed campaign to increase pressure on supermarkets, processing firms and catering outlets, to sell British meat.Last week groups of farmers lobbied customers using restaurants operated by the Beefeater chain.