AN ecologist who underwent chemical contamination tests said a trip to the European Parliament was a huge success.

Beth Williams, an ecology lecturer in Worcester, was among 30 women who travelled to Brussels on a "toxic" double decker bus to lobby MEPs about the dangers of hazardous chemicals in household products.

"We went along as the voice of the people," she said. "It was the first hearing of our petition signed by more than 77,000 people calling for chemicals to be banned.

"Representatives of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and Women's Institute put our case across to MEPs and then we got individual time with the MEPs afterwards."

The organisations are calling for a number of chemicals found in everyday household products to be banned under the new REACH legislation, which aims to regulate industrial chemicals.

Miss Williams, her partner Andrew Sharkey, and their children Seamus and Connie, from Worcester Road in Stourport-upon-Severn, all took part in a WWF experiment last year when they had blood samples taken to discover the dangers of chemicals in products.

"The work of WWF in looking into toxins in adults and children is both groundbreaking and very disturbing in its findings," she said.

"The truth is we know so little about how many of these chemicals effect our bodies individually or as a cocktail of contaminants.

"We owe it to our children to adopt precautionary principles in the release of chemicals.

"We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help protect the health of current and future generations and this is the message we will be carrying to the MEPs."

Miss Williams said it could be another 18 months before the legislation is passed and she would continue her campaign in the meantime.