Cotswold RAW sausages have been withdrawn from this October’s National Sausage Awards on account of the fact the food ‘is not for human consumption'.

A spokesperson for Cotswold RAW said: "We were clearly very excited to receive our unique entry code to the competition a few weeks back, and whilst we made it very clear on all our correspondence that our sausages couldn’t be consumed by humans, we were keen to benefit from the positive sausage aura that always surrounds such a prestigious event.

"The point of our entry was two-fold – to pronounce our appreciation for fine sausages (dogs are just as enthusiastic as humans) and the cool by association tie in with an organisation that actively showcases the often under-appreciated premium credentials of a fine banger. 

"In recent years pet foods have been mirroring human trends with the growth of artisan providers creating tastier, more ‘nutritionally proud’ alternatives to the usual multinational fayre."