BEWARE of buying chicken is the message to shoppers after the RSPCA revealed the appalling suffering the birds experience in their short lives.

The RSPCA has launched a campaign to highlight the catalogue of illness, from sudden heart failure to leg pain, the animals endure before they are slaughtered at about six weeks old.

Around 820 million chickens are bred for their meat (broilers) in the UK each year.

The society has identified broiler suffering as one of the most pressing animal welfare issues in the UK, and is urging consumers to transform the life of the broiler by insisting that supermarkets demand improved welfare standards from their suppliers.

RSPCA scientific officer Abigail Hall said that shoppers have the power to end the suffering: "Consumers have traditionally been largely unaware of the suffering but now they have a vital role to play in improving the birds' lives.

"Broiler chickens typically end up having considerably less space than battery hens must have from 2003, yet many consumers are unaware of the misery commonly endured by broilers.

She added: "The role of the consumer cannot be overstated. Shoppers can influence animal welfare standards by the food they choose and the pressure they put on retailers to demand an end to systematic cruelty."