ANIMAL rights lobbyists who held a vigil outside a Hereford chicken processing factory last week are urging people to go vegan.

Members of Herefordshire Animal Save, Gloucestershire Animal Save, and South Wales Animal Save joined together to stage the vigil outside Cargill's Grandstand Road site last Thursday.

They monitored lorries loaded with chickens that were going into the plant, which currently processes 1.6 million chickens per week.

The group said in a statement: "Most chickens killed for meat never see daylight until the day they are transported to slaughter.

"Chickens are thinking, feeling animals and we would encourage the public to give these sentient creatures a break and go vegan."

In a statement, Cargill said it respects the right of people to lawfully gather and support a cause.

"We can confirm that protestors attended our site on August 24 to peacefully raise attention to their case. The safety of our people and the animals in our care is paramount and for Cargill’s European poultry business we embrace the highest animal welfare standards in our supply chain," the statement said.

"All of the birds we source and then process are reared to Red Tractor Farm Assurance standards, which guarantees they have been reared responsibly.

"In addition all our chickens have access to natural daylight and enriched environments to provide stimulation during the rearing process.

"Red Tractor is a world recognised standard which exceeds EU legislation and UK legal requirements and so we are confident in the traceability of our chicken supply chain."