Third attempt to protect Lincolnshire sausages

The government said it was open to looking at other ways of promoting the sausage

Campaigners plan to make their third attempt to get protected geographical status for Lincolnshire sausages.

The Lincolnshire Sausage Association (LSA) wants government backing to make sure only sausages made in the county can bear the county's name.

An initial application and an appeal have already been turned down by the government.

Now campaigners have voted to apply for protected status for the name Traditional Lincolnshire Sausage.

Janet Godfrey, chairperson of the LSA, said: "It was definitely the second best option.

"We would like to have got protected status for the name Lincolnshire Sausage because we don't think people will understand the difference."

Supporters of the campaign include the mayor of Louth, Jill Makinson-Sanders.

She dressed up as a sausage to welcome the Olympic torch relay to the town but her costume was criticised by people who said it looked rude.

For a name to get protected status it must be submitted to the EU Protected Food Name Scheme as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

The UK has 48 foods protected from imitations by the scheme, including Cornish clotted cream and Melton Mowbray pork pies.

Turning the application down, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) found there were "many variations" of Lincolnshire sausages in the UK.