Chris Packham has accused Tesco of selling chickens that are reared at breakneck speeds which leads to their fragile legs being crushed under the weight of disproportionate bodies. 

Open Cages, an animal welfare group, likens the artificial farming of these broiler breeds to a five-year-old child weighing 150kg - an unsustainable mass.

The campaigners have sent an open letter - signed by the BBC Springwatch presenter - to the supermarket's chief executive slamming this 'painful' production method.

But their condemnation came as Tesco announced a more ethical and affordable range of chicken will soon be hitting its shelves.