York's butchers declared British meat the "safest and best" as more than 20 of them collected a new food safety certificate.

The group were presented with their licences by the City of York Council's food safety and standards unit with whom they worked very closely.

The requirement for butchers' shops to have licences came out of an inquiry into a fatal food poisoning outbreak in Scotland in 1996. New Government regulations require that all butchers handling both raw meat and ready-to-eat food should meet stringent new guidelines in order to receive a licence.

Every York butcher has attended courses in food hygiene and developed documented systems to ensure that food is produced and sold hygienically.

Food officers also regularly inspect their premises to ensure they comply with the regulations. The new licence has to be renewed annually.

Andy Hudson, head of environmental health services with City of York Council, said: "A lot of hard work has gone into gaining the licences. I think the public can now have total confidence in the meat that is being produced by butchers in York.

Copmanthorpe butcher Gordon Swain said: "Local butchers have had a very hard time over the last few years. I'm very pleased that something positive has happened for once."

Ged Bell, owner of a family butchers shop in Middlethorpe Grove, Dringhouses, said: "Hopefully this licence will get rid of cowboy butchers and restore customer confidence.

"There's no doubt that British meat is the safest and best in the world."