WHAT happened to tons of cans of Euro beef in Barrow almost 25 years ago shows that rows over the European Community are nothing new.

On Christmas Eve in 1994 The Mail said the Surplus Food Scheme was sending 16,500 tins from the Euro meat mountain to Ormsgill Residents’ Association.

Chairman Jim Hamezeian said: “I applied for aid about four months ago after finding out from social services that more than 1,300 people in the Ormsgill ward fell into the category of either unemployed or receiving income support.”

Barrow Borough Council came up with a free warehouse to use while the first of the tinned beef was being distributed but by February 27 in 1995 a row developed over who would pay £1,000 in rates and utilities.

It took three hours to unload another 6.5 tonnes of stewing steak at the start of September.

That was a total of 2,546 cans.

It could be collected by the homeless or anyone on benefits from the Ormsgill Residents’ Association store in Middlefield.

The warehouse row rumbled into November 1995 when the council wanted its warehouse back but there was still 12,000 cans of beef to be distributed from Ormsgill.

The Ormsgill group was looking for volunteers to help distribute cans in Dalton, Walney, Roose, Newbarns and Barrow Island.

The Mail noted that the scheme had got the free meet to 14,000 households with the help of a team of 18 volunteers based in Ormsgill.

Mr Hamezeian said: “I would like to thank these volunteers as they are doing a fantastic job, without pay, for the benefit of the community.”