Switzerland rules lobsters must be stunned before boiling

Government bans the practice of plunging live lobsters into boiling water amid fears the animals can feel pain

The Swiss government has ordered an end to the common culinary practice of throwing lobsters into boiling water while they are still alive, ruling that they must be knocked out before they are killed.

As part of a wider overhaul of Swiss animal protection laws, Bern said that as of 1 March, "the practice of plunging live lobsters into boiling water, which is common in restaurants, is no longer permitted".