Mob of 200 furious French farmers hijack a convoy of seven British lorries and throw their cargo of £200,000 worth of fish in the road as dispute over foreign food imports takes a vicious turn

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A mob of 200 furious French farmers have hijacked a convoy of seven British lorries and covered the £200,000 worth of fish they were transporting from the Scottish Highland in diesel.

The shocking midnight attack took place on a rural road in Brittany in the north west of the country, with farmers using agricultural vehicles, bales of hay and tyres to build a road block.

The organised French criminals then swarmed over the trucks and used forklifts to tip the fish boxes onto the road before destroying about 140 tonnes of food with diesel - leaving the innocent lorry drivers terrified that their vehicles would be set alight.

The farmers are believed to have carried out the attack in protest at their livelihoods being hit by low food prices in France, which they blame on cheap foreign imports.

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Carnage: The organised French criminals swarmed the lorries and used forklifts to tip the fish boxes onto the road before destroying about 140 tonnes of food with diesel

Trashed: The shocking midnight attack took place on a rural road in Brittany in the north west of the country, with farmers using agricultural vehicles, bales of hay and tyres to build a road block

Needless: Ironically the fish spoiled in this incident had actually been caught by a French trawler

Over the past week, striking French farmers angry at cheap imports have repeatedly challenged any foreign food lorries passing through northern France.

But ironically the fish spoiled in this incident had actually been caught by a French trawler.

Driver Gordon Ramsay, 40, from Invergordon, revealed how he had to fend off up to eight French farmers, who tried to forcefully seize his documents. 

Mr Ramsay, who works for Scots haulage firm J&D Cowper, described the incident as 'a shock'.

'We assumed it was just a friendly protest by the farmers but it turned into something completely different,' he said.

'We couldn't really do much, there were only seven of us. A few of the drivers said they'll just torch the lorries if need be. Two of the other drivers tried to get them off me.

'I grappled with six to eight farmers. They had a hold of me to try and get my documents. My left arm is sore, but that's it.

'They didn't understand why there were Scottish lorries. We tried to tell them it was French fish, from a French boat, for a French market. Buy all the seven loads just got emptied onto the road.

'At one point I wasn't sure if I was going to make home. I didn't want to have to call home and tell them that something like that was happening while I was just trying to do my job.'

Organised: The farmers are believed to have carried out the attack in protest at their livelihoods being hit by low food prices in France, which they blame on cheap foreign imports

Conflict: Lorry driver Gordon Ramsay, 40, from Invergordon, revealed how he had to fend off up to eight French farmers, who tried to forcefully seize his documents

Ransacked: The innocent British lorry drivers were left terrified that their vehicles would be set alight

The farmers are continuing their protests despite the French government pledging almost £780 million in support.

They claim they are losing out as a result of cheaper foreign imports which is having an effect on their profits.

Yesterday farmers blockaded the Mont Saint-Michel causeway and roads leading to the Alps, warning of further action over the weekend. 

James Cowper, assistant transport manager for J&D Cowper, said the firm were unlikely to complain to the Scottish or French governments because they were paid despite the incident.

'I don't think we will be making a formal complaint as it wasn't our load which was destroyed,' he said.

'We just get paid to take it over for another company. We're still getting paid for doing the run and nothing of ours was damaged.

'The men were quite forceful in getting our guy out of his truck though. They caught him about midnight on the back roads and just emptied his entire truck onto the road.

'He tried to tell them the fish had been caught by a French trawler, but they wouldn't listen to him. It's insane, crazy, bizarre.

'I don't see what the farmers hoped to gain from doing something like this.' 

Smashed: French farmers smash foreign imported fruit in the southern city of Lyon earlier this morning

Taking to the streets: French farmers protest over government action on milk prices earlier today

Protest: Over the past week, striking French farmers angry at cheap imports have repeatedly challenged any foreign food lorries passing through northern France

The news comes as British holidaymakers heading for France vented their anger as yet more Eurotunnel chaos caused travel misery this week.

The massive tailbacks come ahead of this weekend's great summer getaway, with 2.3 million people expected to take to the roads and more than 70,000 heading for the Eurostar.

The extra traffic is likely to compound problems in Dover and Calais, where large numbers of migrants looking to reach the UK have caused weeks of disruption. 

Long queues of freight traffic continue to form on sections of the M20 in Kent where Operation Stack remains in place. Police have said this will continue until at least Sunday.

Yesterday the Port of Dover said the motorway was closed coastbound between junctions 8 and 9 following the new problems at the tunnel and high volumes of freight traffic.

But a port spokesman said it remained 'open for business', with P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways operating full services. 

The latest disruption comes days after French ferry workers brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the Channel with another wildcat strike.

Queues: British holidaymakers heading for France vented their anger as yet more Eurotunnel chaos caused travel misery this week

Blockade: Motorists sit in traffic as framers block the A7 motorway at the southern entrance to the city of Lyon in a dispute over falling food prices