VEGAN activists in chicken masks stormed a Nando’s restaurant and showed diners footage of slaughter.

The animal rights activists went to the restaurant in Duke Street in Brighton last night as part of a nationwide Occupy Nando's campaign.

It follows a series of protests by rival group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) Brighton whose activists targeted McDonald’s in pig masks and fake blood on Friday.

The Occupy Nando's activists were angry about the conditions of chickens that are used to supply Nando’s.

They held out laptops showing videos purporting to show the suffering of animals at a farm from an investigation conducted by Surge.

A spokesman for the group of ten taking part said: “The aim of the action was to disrupt the customer’s meals and to draw attention to the violence and suffering that went into it.

“We know that people don’t like to be exposed to the truth of their food, especially while they are eating it, but what these animals go through is unacceptable and we cannot ignore that so many innocent beings are suffering this very second.”

They claim that workers had kicked and stamped on chickens, throwing sick birds into piles and leaving them to die in agony, and criticised the “appalling” conditions the birds were in.

During the protest, diners were told: “A chicken is an individual. A living, thinking, feeling being. A chicken can feel distress, and recognise stress in others.

“A chicken can feel empathy for others too. Shouldn’t we, as human beings, show empathy for these suffering individuals?”

Protesters said that restaurant staff continued to serve customers, while some diners laughed during the protest, but they said some diners did watch the videos.

The group is staging a nationwide week of action against Nando's.

They reported that the police were called, but did not arrive to the protest.

It follows a warning from Brighton commander Chief Inspector Rachel Swinney.

She said: "We will work with organisers to facilitate peaceful protests that balance the rights of those to protest without disproportionately affecting the rights of the general public.

“But we will not tolerate criminal or intimidating behaviour.”