Farmers brought their tractors to the streets of Swindon to protest in a bid to keep chlorinated chicken off shops' shelves.

They are calling on the government and South Swindon MP Robert Buckland to back the agriculture bill on Monday. They say the bill will prevent the lowering of food standards entering the UK, such as the highly-publicised chlorinated chicken.

Farmers from across Wiltshire met at the County Ground before travelling to Old Town and Mr Buckland’s office in Wood Street.

Organiser Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, said: “We farm locally and we are building a movement to get farmers active to represent the strength of public feeling.

“People don’t want to be eating gruel, we don’t want to be eating chlorinated chicken.

“The Conservatives were elected on a pledge to uphold our standards and now they’re selling us down the river.

“It’s the biggest betrayal, not only to farmers but to consumers and every single person that voted for the vision they put forward. My hope is that every Conservative MP looks at their conscience and decides to do the right thing.

“Nobody in Britain voted to open the door to American agri-giants coming in and destroying our rural communities.”

Husband David said: “I don’t trust the government. They say they’ll look after our things but they won’t.

“When people are poor they’ll buy the cheapest food. You can’t blame them if they have no jobs and if America has the cheapest food then that’s where they’ll go. But their standards aren’t as high.”

Fellow farmer Paul Joseph, from Wanborough, added: “I feel we’ll be thrown to the wolves for a deal.

“If Europe’s going to put massive tariffs on our food and it’s going to come back the other way, they’ll do a deal with America and it’ll create a problem with the crops.

“Our food products could become a lesser standard than what they already are.”

Mr Buckland has insisted food quality and standards will not be lowered.

He said: “Food and farming is a bedrock of our economy and environment, generating £112 billion a year and I am pleased the government has guaranteed the current annual budget on support for farming in every year of this parliament.

“The government has made a clear commitment any future trade agreement must uphold the UK’s high levels of food safety, animal welfare standards and environmental protection.”