Euro probe into abusive email

Mar 14 2005
By Ross Smith, The Journal

Brussels chiefs launched an investigation after a Euro-sceptic campaign group in the North-East received an abusive email from a European Commission address.

The Metric Martyrs Defence Fund, run by traders who opposed the use of metric weights and measures, was called "f****** Luddites" in the message.

It was sent from an email address using the same cec.eu.int domain name used by workers at the Commission.

Neil Herron, who runs the Sunderland-based campaign, last night demanded an inquiry to find if it came from a member of staff.

The email went on to say "long live metric", and ended with the words "you Luddites in England make me sick."

The European Commission was last night investigating whether the message came from a member of staff.

The three Euro-MPs for the North-East region have pledged to investigate the incident.

Mr Herron said: "We find this is inappropriate use of equipment funded by taxpayers.

"We don't mind someone having personal views, but we do mind European Commission employees venting their personal frustrations by email.

"We expect a full and thorough investigation and disciplinary action against the person who sent it."

Mr Herron, who along with four fellow traders shot to fame when they were prosecuted for using imperial weights and measures, stood for election in last June's European polls and collected 39,658 votes.

Conservative Euro-MP Martin Callanan said: "I take this very seriously.

"People should not be writing letters like that and I will investigate it on his behalf.

"I will be tabling questions to find if this is genuine, and if so I will be asking for appropriate action to be taken against them. This is unacceptable."

His Labour counterpart Stephen Hughes added: "If anyone inside the Commission or any other European institution is denigrating him because of his views, I will work with him to find out how that has happened.

"I don't agree with Neil's views on Europe for a moment, but we live in a democracy and he has got every right to his views - and he does represent the views of a number of people in this region."

Liberal Democrat Fiona Hall also said she would look into the incident.

Despite being informed of the email on Thursday, the Commission was last night still unable to confirm if it had come from a member of staff.

The Journal received no reply from the address the email was sent from.