Radio listeners voted against plans to slaughter two turkeys live on air in spite of a regional daily’s readers opposing a rock legend’s view on the issue.

Oxfordshire-based Jack FM surveyed its listeners on whether to ‘cook’ or ‘keep’ the turkeys ahead of Christmas, a stunt condemned by the RSPCA and reported in the Oxford Mail.

The story came to the attention of Queen guitarist and animal rights campaigner Brian May, pictured left, who described the radio station’s plan as “disgusting” on Twitter.

The Mail then ran its own poll asking readers whether they agreed with the rock star or the station, which May used his account on the social media site to promote.

Respondents eventually voted 48pc in favour to 52pc against on whether they agreed with Brian May’s views on the stunt.

Meanwhile, listeners voted in the radio station’s poll to spare the birds from slaughter.

Mail assistant editor Jason Collie said: “The poll itself is just an extra element for our online story over the Jack FM turkey controversy and when we tweeted it out there was no way we expected a certified rock legend would retweet it.

“We’ll see how the readers cast their votes but it was a little air guitar moment when we saw the retweet alert pop up.”

Defending Jack FM’s poll, presenter Caroline Verdon said: “We want people to have an open debate about food provenance.

“I know a lot of people who eat meat and can’t bear thinking about a pig rolling around in the mud or cow grazing in a field.

“To be forced to confront it I don’t think is a bad thing.”

The Mail’s poll can be viewed here.