MORE should be done to protect the identity of Worcestershire Sauce, says a leading county councillor.

Worcestershire County Council cllr Richard Udall is speaking out three years after he first raised the matter of sauces labelled as Worcestershire, but not made locally.

He called for it to be granted unique local status, but he says no action has yet been taken.

He said: "It is very frustrating. We have a unique product that is sold all over the world. No other Worcestershire product is as well known, yet it is still being ripped off by pale and poor imitations, which do not stand up to any kind of scrutiny."

Cllr Udall, who represents St Johns, also feels that the city should shout more to celebrate the product.

He said: "Not long ago, I was outside the Lea and Perrins factory gates for about five minutes.

"In that time. two different pairs of tourists approached the gates, one from Holland and another from America. Both took pictures and chatted with me about how much they love our most famous product, and both asked if factory tours were available.

"Worcester City Council should be working with the owners of the brand to help promote Worcester as the sauce city. We need factory tours, we need a Lea and Perrins gift shop and we may even need a statue of a bottle of Worcestershire Sauce in Cripplegate Park.

“Worcestershire Sauce is a world-famous culinary condiment.

We should celebrate the product, share in its success and build a relationship between the factory, the council and the people of Worcester. It is a product to be proud of, so let’s do it."

Cllr Udall will be writing to city council leader Marc Bayliss asking him to co-ordinate and organise a campaign to celebrate Worcestershire Sauce during 2019.