SIR - I am very disappointed to see that a local business, the Glasshouse brasserie, in Worcester, is advertising foie-gras as part of its menu.

Foie-gras is the grossly enlarged liver of a duck or goose and is essentially a disease, marketed as a delicacy.

Birds raised for this gourmet cruelty are force-fed enormous quantities of food through a long metal pipe, three times a day.

This process of deliberate and painful overfeeding continues for up to a month by which time the birds' livers have swelled to 10 times their normal size. The birds can choke to death on their own vomit or die after food is forced into their lungs.

Foie-gras is not produced in Britain as the Government has made it clear that its production would contravene existing animal welfare regulations but sadly it is still perfectly legal to import it.

Recently, animal rights group Viva! has persuaded the state of California to pass legislation outlawing both the production and selling of foie-gras after recognising the barbaric methods employed in its production. After an appeal by Paul McCartney, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the ban into law, conceding that foie-gras production is unacceptably cruel.

Local people also have the power to end the sale of foie-gras by not visiting establishments which sell this barbaric delicacy.

Of course, eating any animal causes suffering - the best way of stopping cruelty is to go vegetarian.

For more information on how to go veggie, contact Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH, call 0117 944 1000 or e-mail info@viva.org.uk.

Justin Kerswell, Campaigns Manager, Viva!, Bristol.