Veganuary co-founder Matthew Glover has launched a tube advertising campaign criticising the RSPCA Assured label, accusing it of “welfare washing”.

Writing on LinkedIn, Glover – who also co-founded the Vegan Food Group – said it has launched around 2,750 adverts in London Underground carriages with the message: “Don’t Trust the RSPCA Assured Label”.

It comes as a coalition of 60 campaign organisations has called for the scheme to be scrapped, as they claim undercover investigations at around 40 farms found welfare issues.

Glover said: “The RSPCA is misleading the public by welfare-washing animal cruelty in Assured farms. The RSPCA’s mission is to prevent cruelty to animals, yet it continues to promote the farming and inhumane slaughtering of them. The RSPCA should not be legitimising factory farming or encouraging the consumption of animals, as it currently does with its RSPCA Assured ads.”

The RSPCA launched an investigation last month in the aftermath of the campaigners’ findings and a wider review of the scheme, including unannounced visits to more than 200 randomly chosen members, after hearing the concerns.

A spokesperson for the charity told The Grocer it is requesting that Transport for London “remove it from the tube network to avoid further misleading customers”.

Glover’s ad comes after he requested a meeting with RSPCA CEO Chris Sherwood two weeks ago, which he is still waiting to be scheduled.

“With Chris soon stepping down, the reputational risk now lies with the trustees. We’re now calling on them to meet us,” Glover wrote. “Shutting down the RSPCA Assured scheme and taking a real stance against factory farming is, ultimately, their responsibility.”

Glover said it was “fully prepared to esalate our campaign further – financially and legally”. “In fact, we’d welcome the opportunity to defend our position in court, keeping this vital issue in the spotlight,” he added.

“The animal freedom movement won’t be ignored or dismissed. This is just the beginning, and the pressure on the RSPCA will continue to mount.”

The RSPCA Assured scheme, which works with leading supermarkets including M&S, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Lidl, Morrisons and Aldi, has faced growing criticism in recent months.

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RSPCA vice president Queen legend Brian May quit last month over what he termed “damning evidence” of animal welfare failings at Assured certified farms.

Taking to Instagram to announce his sudden resignation, May said: “It is with profound sadness and not without massive soul-searching that today I have to offer my resignation as a vice-president of the RSPCA.”

“You have kept me informed through the Save Me Trust of complaints that have been levelled in recent months at the RSPCA over appallingly bad standards of animal welfare in member farms of the RSPCA Assured scheme.

“I have understood that the RSPCA needed time to evaluate the evidence and make decisions on action to be taken. But as more and more damning evidence comes to light, I find the RSPCA’s response completely inadequate”.

The former Queen guitarist also described the RSPCA Assured scheme as a failure, and called for it to be axed.

An RSPCA Assured spokesperson said: “RSPCA Assured has been independently proven to improve the lives of millions of animals every year and this advert grossly misrepresents this vital work. We are requesting that Transport for London remove it from the tube network immediately to avoid further misleading passengers.

“RSPCA Assured is a non-profit-making charity set up by the RSPCA with the sole purpose of improving the lives of animals farmed for food – anyone concerned about animal welfare who chooses to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy should continue to look for the label.”