Hambushed! UK drivers’ sandwiches seized in EU

HAM sandwiches were seized from British drivers by customs officers in Holland who told them: ‘Welcome to Brexit.’

The UK is now treated as a ‘third country’ by the EU and personal imports of many food products, including meat and dairy, are not allowed.

The incident was captured by a Dutch TV news crew. One stunned driver with sandwiches wrapped in foil asked if he could hand over the meat and keep the bread.

But a customs officer insisted: ‘No – everything will be confiscated. Welcome to Brexit, sir. I’m sorry.’

The film showed officials explaining to shocked car and lorry drivers at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal that since Brexit ‘you are no longer allowed to bring certain foods to Europe, like meat, fruit, vegetables, fish – that kind of stuff.’ The European Commission says the ban is necessary because the products can contain pathogens causing animal diseases such as footand-mouth. The heavy-handed approach has been imposed despite the fact Britain adheres to the same food safety, packaging and labelling standards as the EU.

The changes came into force on New Year’s Day and have been confirmed by the Government, which said travellers should ‘use, consume, or dispose of’ prohibited items before the border.

Official guidance states: ‘From January 1, 2021 you will not be able to bring products of an animal origin, such as those containing meat or dairy (eg, a ham and cheese sandwich), into the EU.’

Dutch customs also posted a photo of items confiscated in the terminal, including breakfast cereals, adding: ‘You can’t just bring more food from the UK.’