AN EU decision to keep the diesel used in tractors exempt from new pollution regulations has been hailed a "much needed victory for farmers" by Worcestershire's MEP.

Philip Bushill-Matthews said the Green Party's proposal to limit the amount of sulphur in red diesel - used in agricultural machinery at a third of the price of car fuel (DERV) - would have seen farmers struggling to cope with inflated prices brought on by the removal process.

The directive to limit sulphur in DERV has already been passed, but the fate of red diesel was not finalised until yesterday.

The amendment had the backing of both Labour and Liberal Democrats but was slammed by the Conservatives, who highlighted the impact it would have on hard-pressed farmers.

"There were well intentioned environmental reasons for the move but the amount of emissions from tractors is minuscule," said Mr Bushill-Matthews.

"Worcestershire farmers have enough problems already without the EU increasing their costs further.

"If the EU had gone ahead with adding this new layer of red tape, farmers would have been forced to buy DERV.

"The only alternative would be to create a new category of low sulphur red diesel, which would add as much as £5 to the daily running costs of a tractor."

Polluter

NFU chairman Michael Oakes said they did not want to be seen as a big polluter, but the move would have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

The cost of red diesel would have been pushed up by around 2.5p a litre, adding more than 10 per cent to farmers' fuel bills.

"It's our main cost and at this moment in time, we couldn't survive an increase," he said.

Bob Harris from Friends of the Earth said they were very disappointed with the outcome.

"This is part and parcel of a global freedom to use these types of fuels which is helping to poison the planet," he said.

"They have made a mistake and we will persist in trying to get the legislation changed."