Activists staged a two-hour protest in front of a supermarket meat counter – while waving posters of cows and chickens.

Animal Rising, who attempted to sabotage the Grand National in April, targeted Morrisons in Wincheap, Canterbury, in its latest round of protests.

Three members could be seen sitting cross-legged for two hours on Tuesday afternoon, while displaying posters emblazoned with slogans such as: “Nation of animal lovers eat baby sheep in odd annual ritual.“

“One in two horses sent to slaughter come from racing industry,” another read.

The group, which is believed to have thousands of members throughout the UK, say it is campaigning to repair a “broken relationship with animals and nature”.

It is not the first time the group has staged action in the city’s supermarkets.

They filed into the meat aisles of two stores earlier this year as part of a protest about the slaughtering of lambs for Easter.

And they occupied aisles in Sainsbury's and Waitrose last month.

On Tuesday, members could be seen holding pictures of cows and chickens, which were taken during a recent occupation at Grange Dairy Farm in Dorset.

Speaking after the sit-in, protestor Ella Barlow, 20, said: “We owe it to animals” to “build a kinder food system”.

“We are a nation of animal-lovers, and we know animals shouldn’t be treated like this.

“If anyone decided to sit down and design a new food system from scratch, with compassion and environmental sustainability in mind, it would not look like this,” the Canterbury resident said.

“We can have a kinder food system, free from the exploitation of animals, by working with farmers to transition away from animal products towards fully plant-based catering.

“We can also shift away from all industries currently exploiting and harming animals, such as horse racing too.

“If we truly love animals, our actions must reflect that.

“We owe it to them to build a kinder food system and a kinder world, and we want to bring farmers in on this journey.”

A YouGov poll shared in December revealed almost three-quarters of Britons (73%) best describe themselves as meat eaters, with 80% of men saying they eat it compared to 66% of women.

It found just 2% of those it surveyed identified as vegan, which means they don’t consume any meat products, including dairy, eggs, or any other animal product.

Having previously disrupted the Grand National, the group plans to attend the Epsom Derby on June 3.

The group’s plans to sabotage the race at Aintree Racecourse were revealed in a national newspaper expose earlier this year.

Protestors attempted to get onto the racecourse as they clashed with police shortly before the scheduled start time of 5.15pm.

Morrisons has been approached for comment.