FARMERS angry at the price they receive from major supermarkets for their milk protested by handing out free bottles to customers as they left one Bromsgrove store.

Dairymen, with the help of a couple of cute five-month old heifer calves - Polly and Anna - took their campaign to the front door of ASDA'S store, aptly in Market Street, last Thursday.

Farmer Andrew Hemming, aged 47, who runs a herd of 120 dairy cows at his rented farm in Hockley Heath handed out half litre bottles of milk to shoppers who signed in support the campaign, as he explained to them the reasons.

He said: "The situation is extremely serious in the milk industry. Last year we were paid 18.43p per litre by the supermarkets for our milk, but the average price to consumers was 51.3p a litre.

"We simply want fairness," he said. He added he is only able to remain in business by borrowing cash from his relatives.

Andrew is vice-chairman of the group Farmers for Action.

"I have two children and I want to be able to leave something for them."

As he prepared to return home he said the day had been successful and that shoppers had given the campaign their support.

However, a spokeswoman for the giant Leeds-based ASDA chain reckoned the campaigners had targeted the wrong supermarket.

She said it operated a different system to other big stores. It had a group of 650 farmers with whom it dealt with direct.

"We negotiate directly with them to make sure they get a fair price for their milk and we are paying a halfpenny per litre more to our farmers than other major supermarkets," she said.