Tesco has suspended production at a Chinese factory following allegations its charity Christmas cards were packed by forced prison labour.
It comes after the Sunday Times reported a six-year-old girl found a message inside a card from Chinese prisoners.
Florence Widdicombe, from Tooting in London, discovered the cry for help in a card featuring a kitten wearing a Santa hat.
“We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu prison China. Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organisation,” it said, according to The Sunday Times.
An ex-prisoner now living in the UK told the newspaper: “They have been packing Christmas cards for Tesco, and also Tesco gift tags, for at least two years.”
Tesco said it abhored the use of prison labour and “would never allow it in our supply chain.”
“We were shocked by these allegations and immediately suspended the factory where these cards are produced and launched an investigation. We have also withdrawn these cards from sale whilst we investigate,” said the supermarket.
“We have a comprehensive auditing system in place and this supplier was independently audited as recently as last month and no evidence was found to suggest they had broken our rule banning the use of prison labour. If a supplier breaches these rules, we will immediately and permanently de-list them.”
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