DOWNING Street has brushed aside an extraordinary series of anti-British jibes by French President Jacques Chirac.

Mr Chirac amused Russian President Vladimir Putin and Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at the weekend with some undiplomatic jokes about mad cow disease and terrible British food.

French newspaper Liberation said Mr Chirac's comments were overheard by a number of journalists during a three-way summit meeting in Kaliningrad, Russia.

The French leader began with a taunt about the British and BSE, saying: "The only thing they've ever done for European agriculture is mad cow".

He then turned to the subject of British cooking.

"We can't trust people who have such bad food. After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."

He also suggested that France's troubles with Nato began after its Scottish former Secretary General Lord Robertson offered him a local Scottish speciality to eat - apparently a reference to haggis.

Disdain

Mr Chirac's spokesman said he had not heard the exchanges and did want to comment.

A No 10 spokeswoman responded to the comments with icy disdain. "There are some things better not commented on."

British chefs and critics scoffed at Mr Chirac's claims.

Renowned food critic Egon Ronay said: "A man full of bile is not fit to pronounce on food."

He added: "There's no other country in the world whose food has improved so greatly and more quickly in the last 15 to 20 years than this country."

Celebrity chef and regular on TV's Ready Steady Cook Brian Turner said: "It just shows how worried about their Olympic bid the French are if Chirac is stooping to this.

"They know we have the best of everything in Britain, whether it's sport, restaurants or the quality of our beef.

"I dare him to try a piece of quality standard beef, look me in the eyes and try to pretend it isn't some of the best he's ever tasted."

Is Chirac right about British food? Have your say.