New research shows the Government's policy of urging everyone to eat certain types of fish to avoid heart disease is misleading and has been a failure.

A report from the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation shows that plant (rather than fish) oils offer the best protection for health.

They cut the risk of a fatal heart attack by 70 per cent (compared to only 30 per cent with fish oils), cut the chances of a heart attack for people at lower risk, reduce the number of heart attacks and produce long-term benefits.

These are extraordinary statistics and support other research which shows vegetarians have a much lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, some cancers and a string of other diseases.

Most people don't like the taste of oily fish and the average consumption is only a fraction of what has been estimated to be required for heart benefits in high-risk groups.

To make matters worse, almost all fish contains highly-toxic chemicals such as mercury, PCBs and dioxins and even the Food Standards Agency advises pregnant and breastfeeding women to limit how much tuna they eat and tell them and children under 16 not to eat some types of fish.

The Consumers Association says these potent chemicals could put millions at risk.

Clearly we are not being told the truth and the question that has to be answered is why the Government persists with a largely ineffective and failed public health policy.

Are there shades of the BSE fiasco when the meat and dairy industries were placed above human health?

In this instance, it is the fishing industry which is being supported even though the world's oceans are in a calamitous state.

-Sue Baumgardt, Hove