Receivers say the turkeys will continue to be fed

The future is looking bleak for poultry farmers in Herefordshire after one of Britain's major turkey producers announced it had gone bust.

Brandons bought the independent turkey farms in the county three years ago from Sun Valley Foods, whose UK headquarters are in Hereford.

But Brandons went into receivership on Tuesday leaving 1,400 jobs around the UK and the lives of five million turkeys in the balance.

A flood of foreign imports, which has pushed product prices down, has been blamed on the company's collapse.

Most of Brandons staff work at processing plants around the country with 650 people based at Abergavenny, South Wales, 350 at Dalton, North Yorkshire, and 200 at the company's head office at Scropton, Derbyshire.

Receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers said it hopes the firm, which has a �100m annual turnover, could be sold as a going concern.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is also looking to continue operating the business while it seeks a buyer and are trying to ensure the turkeys continue to be fed.