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Tesco has suspended one of its chicken suppliers after an undercover investigation revealed workers abused the animals before slaughter.

In a three-month investigation conducted by Welfare group Animal Just Project, farmers at Trees Farm and Brome Grange in Suffolk were seen kicking, yelling and snapping chickens' necks in harrowing scenes.

The animals who had suffered the abuse were supposedly reared in "high welfare" environments and were classed as "slow-growing" meat or "broiler" chickens.

The RSPCA had labelled one of the farms as "RSPCA Assured", but has now taken off the label and suspended the site.

(Image: Animal Justice Project)

Animal Just Project is urging the RSPCA to prosecute those who were caught breaching the RSPCA's code and the EU law.

The pressure group has also submitted their findings to Red Tractor and Animal Health and Protection Agency (APHA).

Investigators who worked undercover between February and May claim they witnessed nearly 500 chicks dying in their first week at one of the farms, with many being kicked, thrown, and having their necks snapped.

They allege that one chick with a snapped neck was recorded as being left eight hours to die in pain.

(Image: Animal Justice Project)

Farm workers were also found breaking the necks of adult birds, and threw them convulsing on the ground to die or to flap off, it is claimed.

One worker even urinated into a bucket before throwing live but seriously impaired birds into it eight hours later.

Teams were regularly caught cursing, throwing, kicking, and slamming birds into crates during catching for slaughter at the RSPCA-certified farm, the investigators claim.

It is also alleged that lame birds and dying birds were left to suffer for days, while workers carried out inadequate daily "welfare checks" in sheds.

The undercover team finally found a "dilapidated, sparse and large concrete 'range' for 'free-range' birds" - a clear breach of RSPCA guidelines.

Animal Justice Project claims that workers' actions have breached RSPCA standards, and EU laws including Council Directive 2007/43/CE and Council Regulation 1/2005 on the Protection of Animals during Transport and Related Operations.

They will take their findings to the Annual National Poultry and Egg Awards, backed by the British Poultry Council, in London on July 4.

The group plans to then campaign on high streets and university campuses across the UK to promote a began diet as part of their new campaign 'The Foul Truth'.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: "We expect all our suppliers to meet the recognised farm assurance standards, including Red Tractor certification, as well as our own stringent, industry leading requirements on animal welfare.

"We have immediately suspended this farm while we fully investigate and we will continue to engage with the appropriate authorities on welfare standards at the farm."

Animal Justice Project founder Claire Palmer said that "chickens are subjected to cruel abuse, pain and suffering regardless of labels".

She claimed the public is "being fed a lie by the industry" and said the only solution to protect animals was for consumers to quit meat and start vegan dieting.

Ms Palmer said: "This extensive investigation into the lives of 'slow growing' and supposedly high welfare chickens - from the placing of chicks to the catching of young birds at nine weeks old for slaughter - reveals that 'meat' chickens are subjected to cruel abuse, pain and suffering regardless of labels.

"The public is being fed a lie by the industry, the RSPCA, and even other animal welfare organisations. Slow growing birds still suffer.

(Image: Animal Justice Project)

"They are still subjected to horrendous abuse at the hands of catching teams holding RSPCA certificates. Animal Justice Project advocates a vegan diet for consumers as the only solution to truly protect animals."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We are shocked and disgusted by the footage.

"It is completely unacceptable for animals to be treated this way and we understand why you are so upset. It deeply saddens us that one of the farms in the footage is RSPCA Assured certified (Trees Farm).

"We have visited the farm and suspended it, along with the catching team, from the scheme for breaching our standards. The other farm (Brome Grange) has not been a member of RSPCA Assured since January 2018.

"We have also passed the information on to the RSPCA Inspectorate who are liaising with a number of agencies about these serious concerns."