Dear Mr Brooks

Thank you for your further email addressed to Sir Terry Leahy, our Chief Executive. Sir Terry is currently away from the office. Due to the very nature of his job he is often called away on business. I am part of a small team of Customer Service Executives who deal with calls, letters and emails in his absence.

I am very sorry that you were unhappy with the response you received from my colleague, Lynne Ormsby. I am confident that there was not intention to cause you any further annoyance.

I can appreciate your views and I can understand that this is not an issue that may sit comfortably with our customers in the UK. We respect overseas local culture in the same way that we would expect our culture to be respected if the roles were reversed. We are committed to a local approach in our international selling operations, as it is important for us to understand the views of local customers and management teams.

Both Tesco and Hymall have very carefully considered the issue of selling frogs and turtles, and have decided to continue doing so for the time being. This is because we feel that it would be wrong to impose western views and values on those countries in which we trade, thereby going against the wishes of our local customers.

The animals are specifically farmed for this purpose and do not impact on endangered populations. They are kept alive and well looked after until they are required, and are then killed humanely without suffering. This is the same process that we use in the UK for poultry, meat and fish.

We have also developed a public awareness campaign to help consumers understand animal welfare and we give advice on the best treatment of turtles, where consumers choose to take them home as live animals.

In addition, we have identified one species of turtle which is popular with customers and can be killed in a more humane way. We no longer sell species of turtles where research shows that this more humane method cannot be achieved.

Please be reassured that, although we currently have no plans to stop selling live turtles, we are continually monitoring customer feedback about this issue.

I can also assure you that your comments, along with any others that we may receive, will be taken on board. The feedback we receive from our customers at home in the UK is extremely valuable to us, as this help us to keep our new business colleagues in China fully updated on the views of our non-Chinese customers. This allows them to consider many important decisions such as the continuing sale of these products.

In this way, we hope to ensure our methods, concerns and animal welfare standards will influence our Chinese customers and ensure a major improvement in the previous conditions practised in this country. I can assure you that we will continue to monitor this important situation closely.

I do hope this information has been helpful to you.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to the attention of our Chief Executive.  

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk quoting TES5273576X.

Kind Regards


Helen Duke
Tesco Customer Service Executive


From: StephenABrooks@aol.com  [mailto:StephenABrooks@aol.com]
Sent: 30 June 2008  19:33
To: Leahy, Terry
Subject:  _http://www.linnics.com/cwi/video/cwisavid01.html

"In a Tesco store in China's Guangdong Province, CWI observed how
Tesco  staff cut the turtle's abdomen from tail to neck with a pair of
scissors. The  turtle extended its long neck and its extremities
struggled. Tesco staff then  added a traverse incision and pulled out
the entrails."

_
(http://www.linnics.com/cwi/video/cwisavid01.html)

EXTREMELY  GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING!!!!



just how exactley are you improving this situation as your team  are told to tell people,

i , shopped at one of your stores once and to be honest ive seen  better hence the reason asda now has my custom as well as  a few  others who have seen the barbaric trade you support.

I f i can stumble upon this information just browsing the web how many  other customers are viewing it right now as you read this, surely it must make  you think of what this is doing to your UK trade and profits

why bother with a 50% stake in a company such as HYMAL when what they are  asking of you is causing such an outcry amongst the UK people even local MPs are  being made aware of the situation,

Please reconsider selling the live turtles or at least use the profits you  are making in this trade to invest in more knowledge from CWI and ensure these  turtles are killed in a more humane way, remember to pith the brains immediatley  and not the atrocious act in the above link



It would be more polite for you to reply to your emails rather than  passing the buck onto people  like         ms ormsby who is only going  to say stuff to ensure  a good pr status



thanks

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