A Tonbridge charity has launched a national campaign calling on supermarkets to make it easier to identify which own-brand goods are suitable for vegans.

Animal Aid, which has offices in Bradford Street, wants major chains to make the same concessions already made for vegetarians, who benefit from clear labelling on most packaging provided by major retailers.

At present, only three major companies - Sainsbury's, The Co-op and Marks & Spencer - widely label their own-brand products that contain no ingredients derived from animals.

Ben Martin, a spokesman for Animal Aid, said: "Given the rising popularity of cruelty-free living, we feel that the time has come for vegans to have the same. Vegans should be able to go into a shop, pick up a product and immediately know whether they should buy it or not."

"Most supermarkets now stock an extensive range of vegan goods and some, including Tesco, Aldi and Waitrose, are able to provide lists of them, so the companies know which products they are."

As part of the ‘Mark It Vegan' campaign, Animal Aid has started an online petition and is encouraging people to sign and send postcards to the director or each company, which can be ordered directly from the charity.