A major advertising campaign for British pork has been banned for misleading the public.

Adverts declaring pigs are worth it and stating the British pig industry has "very high welfare standards" have been deemed unacceptable and banned from further use by the Advertising Standards Authority following a complaint by Compassion in World Farming.

Too many fattening pigs in this country are kept indoors in crowded pens with little or no straw and around 80 per cent are routinely tail-docked. So not all British pigs are having such a good time.

Of course, we need to support our pig farmers, but only those who rear their pigs to truly high welfare standards, such as organic, outdoor bred and reared, and RSPCA Freedom Food.

Agreed many British pigs are treated better than many of their European counterparts – we have no sow stalls and castration is rare – but there is still a long way to go before the industry can claim that British pig farmers have "very high welfare standards".

Animals should not, and need not, suffer. If that is your belief, please help to challenge those who put profit before animal welfare.

Sheila Gibson, Desford.