A PERFORMANCE artist ate what he claimed to be a corgi live on radio, in protest at the Royal Family and its alleged treatment of animals.

Mark McGowan, 37, said the cooked canine - the Queen's favourite breed of dog - tasted "really, really, really disgusting".

The corgi, which died at a breeding farm, was minced with apple, onion and seasoning for the artist's consumption on the Bob and Roberta Smith radio programme, broadcast on London-based arts station 104.4 Resonance FM.

Before the show, the vegetarian and animal rights activist explained his motives for the protest.

"I am doing this to raise awareness about the RSPCA's inability to prosecute Prince Philip and his friends shooting a fox earlier this year, letting it struggle for life for five minutes and then beating it to death with a stick."

The RSPCA said in a statement it had investigated the alleged incident involving Prince Philip and "found no evidence an offence of causing unnecessary suffering had taken place".