So this is where he has gone to............ Spicing Up Sauce Protest Updated: 12:46, Tuesday March 13, 2007
A John Bull impersonator has breached security at HP Sauce's Birmingham factory to make a rooftop protest at its forthcoming move to the Netherlands.
Ray Egan, a 69-year-old retired policeman, barricaded himself on the roof of the HP plant at Aston Cross.
After draping flags and banners over the building, he admitted he knew the direct action would not affect Heinz's plans to close the site next week.
"The point I am making is that we are losing a British icon - a bastion of Britishness and a worldwide product and brand," he said.
It's got to stop. I am just sick of the industries we are losing and direct action is what's needed in this country."
Mr Egan regularly affirms 'Britishness' in protests from the Euro to the England football manager.
A French tricolour was amongst the banners and flags which could be seen on the Birmingham skyline.
"I like the French," Mr Egan admitted. "I like the way they go about things - this would never have happened in France."
Heinz announced its decision to close the Aston Cross site last summer and move production to Elst in the Netherlands.
It is hard to think of anything much more British than HP Sauce - the HP stands for Houses of Parliament and the sauce's label even has a drawing of the mother of parliaments.
