French town flooded with wine after protesters crack open vats Published duration 4 August 2016

image caption Some producers in France have been alarmed by cheap imports hitting the market

A protest group has cracked open vats of wine in a southern French town, sending thousands of litres into the streets, local media have reported.

Emergency services had to help bring the flood under control and prevent it spilling into underground car parks.

Those responsible said they belonged to the militant group the Regional Action Committee of Winemakers (Crav), France 3 reported

Crav has been alarmed by cheap imports and has claimed previous attacks.

"Why this action? Because we are never listened to," a Crav representative told France 3.

The attack happed in Sete, a port town in Languedoc-Roussillon, one of France's biggest wine producing regions.

image copyright @Midilibre image caption This tweet from Midi Libre shows wine sloshing in the streets

Basements and nearby homes were flooded, according to Midi Libre

Earlier this year, Spain summoned France's ambassador after French farmers seized Spanish lorries and drained their cargo of wine, near Le Boulou in southern France.

A local union leader for winemakers, Frederic Rouanet, condemned the latest attacks but told Decanter magazine he too was concerned about the rise of cheap imports making it into French shops.

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