A SIX-FOOT battery hen called Hetty joined campaigners from Advocates for Animals to hand footage to the store managers of the Perth and Dundee branches of Tesco yesterday in a bid to encourage the supermarket to end the sale of eggs from caged hens.

Campaigners held colourful placards bearing the slogan “Tesco: Stop Selling Battery Eggs—Go Cage-Free!” and handed out information leaflets, campaign postcards and stickers to shoppers.

A body-screen television showed footage of the conditions hens endure on battery farms.

Tesco stores in 16 towns and cities across Scotland will be visited over two weeks as part of the animal protection organisation’s national Go Cage-Free! campaign tour.

Charity campaigner Joanne Sim said, “Tesco is the largest supermarket in the UK and has yet to commit to selling only cage-free eggs.

“We are urging Tesco to follow in the footsteps of other supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, which have recently set a date when all eggs sold will be cage-free.

“We hope this tour will persuade Tesco and Scottish shoppers to turn their backs on battery eggs and choose to go cage-free.”