BUTCHERS have been handed a massive boost in business by the national horse meat scandal.

Customers are flocking to local meat merchants after widespread tests showed traces of horse meat in the beef being sold in supermarkets.

Millions of burgers were removed from supermarket shelves in case they were contaminated.

The scandal has created a big boost for local butchers though.

Keith Newman, of Frinton Road Butchers in Holland-on-Sea said: “We have got a lot busier since the horse meat news broke.

“There are a lot of new faces coming in, and people who have always shopped here have started buying more, such as mince meat, so they don’t have to get it from supermarkets.

“A lot of people are disgusted at what has happened.

“If these supermarkets were small shops like ours they would have been shut down for this.

“They come to us and I think they enjoy the fact that they can see where the meat has come from. They can even see it on the bone if they want to.

“Hopefully this will signal the comeback for local butchers.”