INGENIOUS Bury trucker Stephen Egerton has beaten strikers' blockades to deliver his load to the French capital.

Stephen, who works for Farnworth-based K. and S. J. Harvey, set off last Sunday night (November 2) loaded with paper reels.

His mission was to find a way past the striking French drivers.

And boss Ken Harvey was delighted to hear that experienced driver Stephen (45) had reached his destination in Paris.

Stephen, of Walmersley Road, crossed into France from Belgium.

And while hundreds of his fellow truckers got stuck at blockades on the French border, he remained on side roads instead of motorways and major routes.

But the normal journey time of five hours was extended to 12-and-a -half.

There was one moment when Stephen thought he had fallen victim to the French strike.

"He pulled into a service area to get some fuel and the exit was blocked by a couple of trucks," said Ken.

Stephen took the opportunity to get some sleep and when he awoke police had moved the blockage.

He returned to this country bound for Lincolnshire with the load he picked up in France.

Stephen will play cat and mouse with strikers again on his next trip to the continent, this time heading for Italy. Fearful of a repeat of last year when many British lorry drivers were stuck at French blockades for days, several local transport companies are either keeping their HGVs in England or sending them to the Continent via Belgium.

Meanwhile, the French Government is under pressure to introduce measures preventing the strike from affecting drivers from other countries.

Greater Manchester West MEP Gary Titley has written to the French ambassador to the European Union.

He has called for special arrangements for British and other foreign drivers, allowing them to avoid or pass through road blocks.

Mr Titley is also pressing for help and compensation for British drivers.

"These innocent victims of a domestic French industrial dispute could be subjected to a repeat performance of last year's roads chaos," he said.

"It is an absolute shambles."

EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock is also said to be poised to act against the French authorities if they fail to ensure free movement of goods and people through their country.

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