Stuff your cheesy Continental Markets!

A series of Hansel and Gretal-style shacks blot out the shop fronts of Church Street and bits of Lord Street and Whitechapel.

Oooh, look, it's supposed to be a bit of a treat for us chavvy Brits - a bit of olde European charm on our doorsteps.

Well, thanks, but no thanks!

Continental markers are a dismal fad encouraged by clueless councils up and down this land.

Basically, anything that isn't traditionally British gets official approval these days from tax-payer funded, clipboard-weilding town hall berks in thrall to the sinister, undemocratic European Union.

You expect to find French, German, Italian produce relentlessly promoted these days in every dreary provincial backwater from Gravesend to Carlisle ... while anything to do with our own country is frowned upon, over-regulated, and thoroughly discouraged.

I would have hoped that a city of real character, such as Liverpool, might have given these continental market tatfests the bum's rush.

But then I remembered, the Liberal-Democrats are in charge of Liverpool's rotten borough - and they will trim their sails to any politically correct breeze.

When I visited recently I found the continental market to be a triumph of marketing over substance - full of greasy, over-priced food, and insincere smiles.

The truth is there are no benefits to bringing produce to market over huge distances. Not in costs. And not in catering for local tastes and needs.

These ersatz continental markets surely aren't good for the environment - given the travel costs they involve, and the fact that they steal trade from locally established shops and markets.

Plus, how come the visiting markets only seem to work one way - i.e. to our disadvantage?

I somehow doubt European towns and their civic leaders aren't clamouring for "English markets" in their own prime locations.

What?! Don't they wanna buy out-of-focus DVDs, scally track suits, trainers, mobile phone covers and crap jewellery?!