York faces gridlock when farmers, hauliers and other demonstrators take to the streets to protest against the crisis in agriculture.

The man responsible for organising the march on Saturday, May 6, hopes thousands of people and dozens of lorries, tractors and other vehicles will take part.

Andrew Spence is the north-east regional director of Farmers for Action (FFA), which was set up only a few weeks ago but already claims 10,000 members. He is also a leading figure in the Hauliers and Farmers Alliance (HFA).

These groups want next month's march in York to have the same sort of impact as an HFA demonstration in Newcastle-upon-Tyne earlier this year, which attracted farmers from a wide area including North Yorkshire.

Mr Spence said: "Our convoy was 7 miles long and we completely encircled Newcastle city centre. We're aiming to do a similar thing in York city centre and we want to set up a committee to organise it."

Farmers from York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding are invited to attend a meeting at York Livestock Centre, Murton, at 7pm today (April 20) to set the ball rolling.

Mr Spence said: "If the response so far is anything to go by, it's going to be amazing because the support we're getting is unbelievable."

Mr Spence, who farms at Ledgate, near Consett, said farmers were demanding fair prices for their crops and animals, while hauliers were angry about a 38pc increase in fuel duty since the Labour Government came into power.

He has first-hand knowledge of the haulage industry as he ran his own livestock transport operation until the BSE crisis forced it out of business.

Looking ahead to next month's march, Mr Spence said: "We have yet to open negotiations with North Yorkshire Police, but everything will be done with their support. We will organise a route with them."

Dairy farmer Geoff Bean, of Salton, between Malton and Kirkbymoorside, who plans to take part in the demo, said those taking part were law-abiding people. "We feel we have been driven to take direct action."

He said the sum farmers received for milk supplies had virtually halved over the past couple of years. "Over the same time, the price paid by the housewife has gone up.

"Something, somewhere has gone wrong and someone, somewhere, is being ripped off. In this case, it's the housewife and the producer who are being ripped off."

He also said farmers, who were struggling to cope with ever-increasing bureaucracy and red tape, desperately needed Government support.

"British livestock farmers are getting the same treatment that the fishermen have been having for the past 25 years," Mr Bean claimed.

On June 19, lorries and farm vehicles will set off from Scotland bound for London on another HFA demonstration. Some 5,000 vehicles from all over the country are expected to join the convoy.