Department store group House of Fraser announced today it is to stop selling foie gras pate on ethical grounds.

The retailer will no longer stock the luxury food stuff, controversially made by force feeding geese, at any of its food outlets including flagship Edinburgh store Jenners.

It follows a recent York-based petition to ban the sale of foie gras, which gained the support of nearly 9,000 people.

City of York councillor Paul Blanchard launched the petition on the Downing Street website, as part of his wider campaign against the French delicacy.

He initiated his campaign in January, when he submitted a motion to City of York Council calling for the city to follow Chicago's lead and ban the dish from shops and restaurants in York. The matter was adjourned for officers to carry out a wider study into how the city could discourage animal cruelty.

The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, who have also been campaigning against the sale of foie gras, welcomed today's announcement.

She said: "I am indeed delighted that House of Fraser has taken the ethical decision to end the sale of foie gras.

"There can surely be no excuse for inflicting such terrible suffering on these animals in order to produce a luxury food such as this.

Foie gras literally means fatty liver' and is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell to six to 0 times their normal size.

11:35am Saturday 9th June 2007

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