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		Ban cat and dog fur, says MEP Wednesday 3 December 2003 At a meeting in Brussels today, local celebrities including Belgian footballer Gilles de Bilde and model Phaedra Hoste (pictured with Roger below) joined East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer in calling for a Europe-wide ban on cat and dog fur. Items made from cat and dog fur are widely available for sale across the EU. Often they are not labelled, or are falsely labelled with names of exotic species like "Arctic fox" or "Asian jackal". Goods include garments, rugs and novelty soft toys - including toy cats made of dog fur. Many of these items come from China and other Asian countries. Researchers from animal rights organisations have established that cats and dogs are butchered with appalling cruelty to provide furs for this trade. Commenting on the event, Roger Helmer said: "We are a nation of animal lovers - I have a dog and two cats myself - and it is appalling that innocent consumers may be lured unwittingly into supporting this dreadful trade". Euro-MP Roger Helmer has signed a "Written Declaration" in the European parliament calling for a Europe-wide ban. So far this declaration has 220 signatures of MEPs, but requires 314 - half the membership of the parliament - to become effective. Mr Helmer and other MEPs from several parties are working to ensure that the key number of signatures is obtained by the closing date later this month.