1.5m NEW VEGGIES
Plague cull turns nation off meat
MORE than 1.5million people have turned vegetarian since the foot-and-mouth plague began five weeks ago.
Shocked by the culling of 400,000 animals and the sight of funeral pyres, another 20million are considering giving up meat.
The figures threaten yet more misery for farmers already reeling from the impact of BSE.
They were revealed as cases of the disease rose 35 to 728. Tony Blair hinted there was no point in postponing local elections on May 3 - favoured for the general election - by declaring Britain remains open for business.
The Vegetarian Society said: "For the first time people are linking meat with the wholesale slaughter of animals."
Vegetarian firms have already reported significant sales rises. Food processor Farepack said yesterday its sales were a hefty 25 per cent down.
At the height of the BSE crisis in 1997, vegetarianism jumped one per cent to an all-time high of 5.4 per cent - about 3.3 million people.
But an ICM poll for Radio 4 showed the numbers have now soared to nine per cent, six million people. A quarter had given up meat in the last few weeks. A third said they were considering turning vegetarian because of BSE and foot-and-mouth
(Had to edit the number of people.)
[This message has been edited by WendyForsyth (edited March 30, 2001).]