Tony Blair last night set out his vision of a new Europe in a historic meeting with French president Jacques Chirac in the heart of the North-East.

The Prime Minister welcomed President Chirac to County Durham for crucial talks ahead of next week's crunch European Union summit, which will define the future shape of Europe.

Earlier, as Mr Blair greeted the president at Teesside Airport, he insisted that there would be no caving-in on Britain's interests next week.

The Prime Minister spelled out the so-called "red lines" that he would not cross at the summit in Nice on the French Riviera.

As they left for a pub supper in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency, he said that there would be no surrender next week over Britain's veto on tax, social security and other crucial areas.

However, the two leaders spoke of their "common purpose" ahead of a summit billed as the most important since the 1991 Maastricht meeting, which led to the birth of the single currency.

The three-day meeting, chaired by France as the current holder of the EU presidency, should pave the way to the entry of up to 12 new countries into the European club, mainly from Eastern and Central Europe.

Last night, as the two leaders arrived at the County Hotel in Aycliffe, they were greeted by about 30 demonstrators, including farmers and fuel protestors. They jeered, blew whistles and chanted "Down with Blair".

Shortly after Mr Blair and President Chirac had gone into the pub, an egg was thrown from the crowd which hit an outside wall.

Inside, the diplomatic decision had been taken not to ask the French president to eat British beef at a time when more cases of "mad cow" disease are being discovered in French cattle.

The two leaders dined on what Mr Blair described as "very good" English lamb, although President Chirac told reporters that he had "never said that I wouldn't eat English beef".

They also agreed that it was vitally important for the EU to support the measures put in place this week by the European Commission to contain the BSE crisis.

Tory agriculture spokesman Tim Yeo earlier staged a lunchtime protest by arriving at the County Hotel and ordering beef.

And last night, the Conservatives turned up the heat on Mr Blair not to cave in on Europe.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Francis Maude raised fears that the Prime Minister would surrender Britain's veto next week in up to 17 areas.

Mr Maude said: "Relentless political integration is the enemy of European unity."

He also pointed out that an opinion poll earlier this year funded by the Tories' Keep The Pound campaign revealed that most voters in the Prime Minister's constituency did not want to join the euro.

"When Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac visit Sedgefield, one thing is clear - they will find that the overwhelming majority of voters in Tony Blair's constituency want to keep the pound," said Mr Maude.

Last night, Tory leader William Hague claimed that a second successive General Election victory for Tony Blair would undermine Britain's sovereignty.

Down the pub - Page 3

Comment - Page 14

Nissan verdict on hold - Page 1