Brewery bosses on Tyneside are locked in a legal battle with Eurocrats for the right to still use the name Newcastle Brown Ale - despite shifting production to Gateshead.

Scottish & Newcastle had originally celebrated gaining specialist European status for the famous beer - which stops it being brewed anywhere else.

But the firm has since been trying to have the status revoked, after announcing plans to move production to the Federation Brewery in Gateshead.

Last night company bosses said they would begin brewing at the new site in July, and believe the outstanding protected status would pose no problems.

But a spokesman for the European Commission described the law as "highly complex" and said it would take time to decipher what the status could mean.

The argument came on the day a European judge ruled only cheese made in certain areas of Greece could be sold under the name of "feta".

If the decision is upheld in a final ruling later this year, it would mean feta cheese producers outside of the region would not be allowed to use the name.

It is not yet fully known what ramifications that could have for the production of Newcastle Brown Ale outside of the city - including at the site in Gateshead. But Scottish & Newcastle spokesman Nigel Barber last night said the firm believes it will be able to brew on the other side of the Tyne without legal comeback.

He said: "We are very confident we can start to brew Newcastle Brown Ale in Gateshead even if the protected status is not revoked.

"It really doesn't prevent us from doing what we want to do."

He said the highly specific nature of the status - known as Protected Designation of Origin - is key to the firm being able to both revoke it, and ignore it.

It covers the specific drink, Newcastle Brown Ale, rather than a wide area such as champagne - where a number of manufacturers produce the `protected' product.

The status was originally sought during the company's expansion into Europe, when it was awaiting an application for copyright and trademarks under European law.

But - regardless of `protected' status - copyright regulations, covering everything from the name to the bottle design, effectively prevent any rival firms from producing a rival Newcastle Brown.

That would mean, if the status was revoked, rival firms would still be forbidden from copying it.

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