A concerned French market-goer has voiced her disgust at the sale of controversial pate foie gras at a city centre market.

Foie gras is the liver of a duck or goose fattened by force-feeding corn with a tube, and it is illegal to make in the UK under animal welfare laws.

But the food is allowed to be sold in the UK, making an appearance at last Thursday’s French market in St Albans.

Market-goer Shelley Penn, of Jersey Farm, was shocked that the district council, which organises the French market, had allowed the sale of foie gras.

She said: “I’m annoyed. I think it’s cruel and I don’t think they should sell it on the market. It’s a vile thing. The council should take a view on it.

“You can’t make it here because it’s cruel but they shouldn’t be selling it either, especially on our market; it makes St Albans look bad.

“To make animals suffer just to eat them, it’s vile.”

The recent sale of foie gras follows the district council’s controversial decision not to ban the sale of fur products at markets in the city centre.

London Colney district cllr, Dreda Gordon, who supports banning fur from local markets, is also against the sale of foie gras.

She said: “We can’t control what’s sold in high street shops but we should be able to control what’s on our markets, and this should not be sold.”

When questioned about the sale of foie gras, Lemarchand Francr, owner of the stall selling it, said: “Why not?”

He then continued: “Some French people live here and they like foie gras, and it’s difficult to get here and they know we sell the foie gras.

“In France it’s very popular, and the French people who live here often come only for the foie gras.”

Debbi White, St Albans council’s property and asset manager, said: “We were unaware that a stallholder was selling foie gras at the French Market.

“As soon as it was drawn to our attention, we acted. We asked for the item to be removed from sale immediately and the stallholder complied. No other stalls had been selling the product.

“Foie gras, because of its link to animal cruelty, has now been added to the banned product list on our Market Rules document.

“We thank the Herts Advertiser for bringing this to our notice.”