The bodies of a dozen dead chickens have been discovered dumped in a park in Lewisham.

An unlucky dog walker made the grim discovery last Tuesday (November 17) in Brockley View Park which sits in between Honor Oak and Catford.

The hens, which were found in and around a hedgerow close to the entrance of the park, appeared to have had their necks broken.

RSPCA inspector Natasha Wallis urged anyone with information to contact the animal charity.

She said: "It was a horrible thing for a dog walker to find and I would really like to know where the chickens have come from and what they are doing there.

"It looks like the chickens have been killed somewhere else and their bodies were dumped in the park."

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In emergency situations manual neck dislocation is considered an acceptable method of killing when carried out by a competent person, but there are strict rules about disposing of the remains.

Mia Fernyhough, hen welfare specialist at the RSPCA, said: "Even people keeping a few chickens in their back garden and smallholders are subject to very strict rules when it comes to humane slaughter and the disposal of animal remains.

"If a pet hen passes away the owner has to take it to a registered premises, such as a vets or pet crematorium, they cannot bury it in the garden or dispose of it in general waste due to the risk of spreading disease."

Anyone with information about how the chickens were killed and who owns them can call the appeal line 0300 1238018 and leave a message for Inspector Wallis.