Poppy Appeal Breakthrough As German Supermarket Thinks Again

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 7th Nov 2003

Chris Huhne MEP with Norman and Betty Brown at the War Memorial in Eastleigh

A top German-owned supermarket group - Lidl - has agreed to allow Poppy Appeal collectors onto their premises for the first time.

Chris Huhne MEP, who had written to Lidl asking them to reconsider their opposition to poppy collectors, said that he was delighted by the response. 'Lidl was the only major supermarket group not to allow poppy collectors on their premises, and that will now change' said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne had pointed out that the poppy appeal was not an anti-German or a nationalist institution, but was to raise money for needy former service people some of whom had served alongside our German allies in peace-keeping operations in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

'The Poppy appeal is to remember all those who have fallen in defending democracy, freedom and the rule of law, all of which are the key values of the European Union that every member state upholds' said Mr Huhne.

Hans Templin, the managing director of Lidl UK, replied to Mr Huhne's request saying that he very much appreciated the reasons behind the Poppy appeal and had therefore reconsidered the company's decision.

'All regional directors have been instructed to communicate to their stores that permission can be granted to any requests from Poppy appeal collectors' said Mr Templin.

'I'm delighted that Lidl has changed their policy. I understand the reasons why they previously wanted to limit support to locally based charities near their headquarters, but I think this is the right decision' said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne, who helped last week with the Poppy Appeal collection at ASDA in Chandlers' Ford, said that he was looking forward to helping the Poppy Appeal at the Lidl branch in Eastleigh.

Mr Huhne took up the issue with Lidl after his local Poppy Appeal coordinator in Hampshire, mentioned the problem.

Ends