HUGH Fearn ley-Whittingstall has lost his battle to get Tesco to improve its chicken-rearing standards.

The Dorset-based star of Channel 4's River Cottage series bought shares in Tesco so he could put forward a resolution at the company's annual general meeting requesting the supermarket upgrade its minimum conditions to the RSPCA's "Freedom Food" marque.

He spent £30,000 of his money and raised another £45,000 to send the resolution to shareholders after Tesco refused to post it, saying he had missed their deadline.

But the resolution, which needed the approval of at least 75 per cent of shareholders, won less than 10 per cent of the vote.

Speaking before the AGM, Fearnley-Whittingstall said the company had "brought out the big guns" to crush the motion.

He said Tesco, which urged shareholders to vote against him, had tried to scare consumers by claiming improved welfare standards could add £1 to the cost of a standard supermarket chicken.

Tesco was failing to meet its own stated welfare standards for chickens, he said.

He said the supermarket has a greater duty of care to Britain's chickens than any other retailer because of its scale.

He said: "They have to stop claiming that as an organisation they uphold the Five Freedoms (recommended by the Farm Animal Welfare Council) because patently they don't."

But Tesco says its standard chickens do meet the Farm Animal Welfare Council's Five Freedoms for livestock.

It has rejected Fearnley-Whittingstall's claims that by selling factory farmchickens, it is breaching its own welfare policies.

The supermarket giant said it asked shareholders to vote against the resolution because it would restrict choice for customers by making chickens too expensive for them to buy.

Fearnley-Whittingstall was due to pick up an award from the RSPCA today for his work to improve chicken welfare. He will be recognised at the charity's AGM with fellow chef Jamie Oliver.

Both have presented TV shows highlighting the conditions in which many chickens are kept.

"We are delighted to present Hugh and Jamie with awards in recognition of their valuable ongoing work in this area," said Dr Marc Cooper, RSPCA senior farm animal scientist.

Speaking after the AGM, Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall said: "I think we succeeded in putting Tesco on its mettle. I think we will see more higher welfare chickens in Tesco stores.

"I said if we achieved 10 per cent of the vote that would be something Tesco couldn't ignore."

He said that the 9.88 per cent vote in favour of the resolution did not include abstentions, which have yet to be calculated.

Asked if the resolution was a publicity stunt, he said: "This is a campaign that needs publicity so I don't apologise for it getting some."

He said Tesco had already made some "significant changes", including upgrading the welfare standards of its Willow Farm chicken.

But he added that if the supermarket did not upgrade its minimum standard, then the next stage of his campaign could see him target Tesco's customers, who would "make the decision" for the chain.

Fearnley-Whittingstall told reporters he did not shop at Tesco, but bought from "local stores".

A Tesco spokesman said: "We're delighted more than nine out of 10 of shareholders who cast a vote agreed that Hugh's motion was unnecess-ary and chose not to support it.

"Tesco is working actively to improve animal welfare and to keep chicken affordable for all our customers - especially those who are struggling to balance the family budget in a time of rising household bills.

"Our shareholders have voted decisively to support this, and customers will continue to feel the benefit."

DO you agree with Hugh that Tesco should up its welfare standards? Or do you think they are doing the right thing? Let us know by commenting below.