LEAPING to the defence of the chip buttie after a survey showed its popularity was waning in East Lancashire and folk interviewed by this newspaper said they preferred sandwiches with less-fattening fillings, Steve Woods would have to declare an interest... he owns a chippy, after all.

But, blow me, he batters ignorance about the properties of the much-maligned chip butt.

A dab hand with the facts, Steve, of Darwen's Friendly Fryer chippy, says there is 11.1 per cent fat in fish, chips and peas, less than in a chicken curry with rice or burger 'n' chips covered with barbecue sauce.

What's more, the fish 'n' chip fodder is full of energy, protein, calcium, iron and vitamins.

All in all, then, what we have here is nothing short of a health food. Why, then, aren't fitness centres and slimming clubs laying it on along with the carrot juice?

And aren't Holland and Barrett slipping up, not having synthesised the chip butt in capsule form?

Do you want salt 'n' vinegar with all that goodness, luv?