Tesco has suspended production at a factory in China following allegations forced prison labour was used to pack charity Christmas cards.
The supermarket said it would de-list the supplier of the cards, Zheijiang Yunguang Printing, if it was found to have used prison labour.
According to the Sunday Times, Florence Widdicombe, aged 6, opened a £1.50 box of Tesco cards to find that one of them – featuring a kitten with a Santa hat – had already been written in.
In block capitals, it said: “We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu prison China. Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organisation.”
It is not the first time that prisoners in China have reportedly smuggled out messages in products they have been forced to make for Western markets.
