Supermarket margins on meat are provoking controversy in Shropshire where county trading standards officers claim to have discovered differentials between the prices charged by the multiples and independent butchers. A survey of many, though not all, meat retail outlets in the county gave the impression butchers were on average selling more cheaply than the supermarkets, according to a preliminary report by chief trading standards officer David Walker. "At one period in the survey, for instance, the average supermarkets price for sirloin steak was £5.11/lb. The average price for butchers was 30p/lb cheaper," said Walker. "Ten butchers were selling it at a dearer price than the average supermarket price but 31 butchers were selling it cheaper. Of these, 13 butchers were selling it at least 50p/lb cheaper and of these six butchers were selling at least £1/lb cheaper." The council is considering submitting its survey findings to the MLC and the OFT. {{NEWS }}