HUNDREDS of hens have been re-homed in Didcot as part of a nationwide drive to save thousands of birds from the slaughter.

The British Hen Welfare Trust has hailed the 'incredible' effort of volunteers to find new places to live for 316 hens in Oxfordshire.

The charity estimates its latest rehoming effort across the country has seen 5,800 hens in total saved.

Dozens of volunteers from 15 regional teams got up at the crack of dawn and finished late in the day in order to complete the feat. All the hens were saved from commercial farms.