THE Daily Echo has earned parliamentary praise for highlighting the threat facing New Forest ponies which could be driven to mainland Europe and slaughtered for food.

New European Union legislation could have seen up to 2,000 ponies taken abroad each year to end up on dinner plates if a ban on live horse exports was lifted.

However the European Parliament has now ruled that Britain can retain its ban on exporting horses worth less than £5,000.

But MPs have today warned the battle has not yet been won.

They accused Hampshire Euro MP Chris Huhne, a Liberal Democrat, of being "a little hasty" celebrating victory in the battle to stop ponies ending up on dinner plates across the continent.

An amendment on the issue must first be approved by Council of Agricultural ministers at the end of the month.

Speaking in a House of Commons debate, Julian Lewis said: "I praise the Southern Daily Echo on its efforts to retain the ban."

But he added: "There have been suggestions the whole episode is over and done.

"A Liberal Democrat MEP even says there is now no question of New Forest ponies being exported for slaughter.

"Am I right in thinking that is not quite yet the case?"

Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesman Andrew George said Mr Lewis, Tory MP for New Forest East, was "absolutely right".

He said Mr Huhne was "a little hasty" in suggesting the amendment proposing the UK was exempt from the ban would follow "as night follows day".

He added: "It is important that we do not give a false impression that the battle is won - it has not."

Two weeks ago Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) warned that up to 2,000 New Forest ponies a year could be packed into crates and shipped in horrific conditions to the continent if live exports were allowed.

It claimed the animals would be butchered in foreign slaughterhouses and dished up in countries such as France, where the meat is a delicacy.

Britain's ban on the live export of horses worth more than £5,000 effectively stopped all sales as the price is too high for traders.

But threats the law could be scrapped sparked fears New Forest ponies could be sold for as little as £5.

Rural Affairs minister Alun Michael said he would look at the possibilities of outlawing live meat exports - but said it would be unenforceable unless all horse exports were banned.

Traders could claim they were buying a horse as a cheap pet - then slaughter it anyway.

Instead he called for "realistic" expectations and revealed almost 7,000 horses were slaughtered in Britain for meat exports last year.