Two-thirds of fresh chicken sold in British supermarkets are contaminated with E.coli, a new study claims.

Contamination levels are much higher than previously thought and could be a threat to public health.

The investigation found 78 per cent of the fresh chicken sold in high streets in England was positive for an antibiotic-resistant strain of E.coli.

In Scotland the figure is 53 per cent, with levels of up to 41 per cent in Wales.

The strain of the infectious bug could be more difficult to treat because it has developed some resistance to antibiotics.