Article: Hard times? Now even chickens are theft-tagged; Protected: Store chicken.

CHICKENS have fallen foul of the credit crunch with a supermarket chainputting electronic security tags on the birds in a bid to halt thefts.

Sainsbury's is believed to have taken the move after seeing an increase inshoplifting of chickens - both the top-of-the-range organic birds at [pounds sterling]8 and thefactoryfarmed [pounds sterling]2 variety.

Customers who try to steal a chicken will set off an alarm usually reserved fortheft of shoplifters' favourites such as bottles of spirits.

The security measure has just come into force at the Hampden Park store nearEastbourne, East Sussex.

Father-of-two Matthew Burbage, 40, said: 'We buy free-range chickens ...

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