Campaigners have accused the Labour government of weakening animal welfare standards by amending the law to allow carrying chickens by their legs.

This legislative change is expected to be the government’s first known policy on animal welfare, marking the first loss of EU protections following Brexit.

However, animal welfare advocates at the Animal Law Foundation have labelled the practice as ‘currently illegal, and harmful’.

According to the charity, handling chickens by their legs ‘causes significant pain and distress and leads to injuries like fractures and dislocations’.

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European Transport Regulation 1/2005, still enforced in the UK, does not allow lifting chickens by their legs on farm and while loading or unloading.

The government had previously argued the practice was legal, stating this in its Codes of Practice, which the Animal Law Foundation challenged with threats of legal action.

In response to a pre-action protocol letter from the foundation, the government has now acknowledged the practice is illegal and announced plans to change the law to allow it.

Edie Bowles, executive director at the Animal Law Foundation, called it ‘shocking’ that Labour's first animal welfare policy involves lowering protections.

"It is especially surprising given it is the first dilution of an EU animal welfare protection since Brexit," she said.

“The British people do not want this, they want animal welfare standards high and enforced.”