THE overwhelming majority of Lancaster shoppers want GM food banned, according to a "people's poll" held in Lancaster's Marketgate Shopping Centre on Saturday.

Nearly four hundred shoppers took part in the poll organised by North Lancashire Real Food Campaign and 94 per cent said they were opposed to the Government position on GM foods, with three quarters of voters demanding an outright ban.

Only eight people thought that there was no problem with genetically modified food and others suggested clear labelling so that people have a choice. Anne Chapman of the Real Food Campaign said: "We have been campaigning for the past year to raise awareness of GM foods. This poll has shown the strength of public feeling against the Government's current position. The surprise is the number of people who want an outright ban, not just a five year freeze that many groups are campaigning for." The results will be passed on to the district's two MPs.

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