TV chef sent £86,000 bill by supermarket

A TV chef says Tesco have sent him a bill for £86,000 after he launched a campaign to highlight the plight of Britain's factory-farmed chickens.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had bought a small stake in the supermarket and tabled a resolution to make executives publicly address the standards they set their suppliers at an upcoming annual meeting.

But the River Cottage cook has now received the bill with Tesco saying he submitted the documents too late - and he should meet the cost of sending the papers to investors.

"They are entitled to ask this, but it looks quite vindictive," said Fearnley-Whittingstall, who is calling for all retailers to meet the standards laid down by the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme.

He is now looking to raise the money through his chickenout.tv