For home economics teachers, this might be one practical demonstration to avoid. Sarah Wiener, an Austrian TV chef, recently gave children a more thorough cookery lesson than they were hoping for when she killed a rabbit on her programme.

The children, aged between 12 and 15, looked on in horror as Mrs Wiener gave the rabbit a series of electric shocks, before cutting its throat and skinning it.

One child who witnessed the slaughter said: “It was quite disgusting - the rabbit’s belly was still warm, not to mention seeing its beautiful, cuddly fur pulled off. Guts out, and everything in the trash. But the worst part was how it was hung up like socks.” Several children cried during filming.

But Mrs Wiener, who runs three restaurants in Germany, made no apologies. “Everyone who eats meat should know it does not grow on trees,” she said.

However, all of the children opted to taste the animal once it had been cooked.