Victory for butcher in battle of pork baps

A battling butcher has been told he can keep selling pork butties - after a four-year legal row in which Wolverhampton City Council spent thousands of pounds trying to stop him.

David Price, owner of David Price Butchers in Griffiths Drive, Ashmore Park, was ordered to stop serving the hot snack because bureaucrats said it was not in the terms of his licence. At one point he was told he may need to pay £25,000 to fight the ruling in court.

But the battle of the butties came to a close today after council chiefs gave in to popular demand and officially told Mr Price they would not take further action.

He said: "It's just a relief it's all over. I remember the judge saying at a preliminary hearing, a full hearing would cost me £25,000 and I was thinking this is just ridiculous over a pork sandwich but I was determined I wouldn't step down.

"At one point it felt like they were trying to drive me out of business."

The saga began in 2006 when a nearby store complained to Wolverhampton Homes that the sandwiches were creating unfair competition to nearby stores.

Wolverhampton Council ordered Mr Price to stop selling them. When he refused he was taken to court. The case had been left in limbo until yesterday when Mr Price's solicitor was told there would be no further action taken.

"I can't believe it's gone on so long," said Mr Price, who has owned the store for seven years.

Wolverhampton councillor Neil Clarke, said: "It's a victory for common sense but it should never have gone this far."

The city council itself was unavailable for comment.

By Colin Drury