Chris Packham has accused eBay of 'irresponsible cruelty' for allowing pet fish to be posted in 'fizzy drink' bottles,with hundreds dying in the post.

Shocking photos have emerged online of fish in a serious state of distress after being purchased from the online marketplace and sent in subpar packaging.

eBay's live animals policy says sellers can list aquarium or pond fish up to 5cm long but they need to have necessary government permits and guarantee safe overnight delivery.

But Packham said it was 'blatant persecution' and to suggest that there was a 5cm limit to 'suffering and cruelty was absurd'.

People praised Tara Smith for rescuing the fish she bought on eBay. People were shocked at the ill treatment

'Fish should never be sent through postal services,in fact it's against the law to do so,and they certainly shouldn't be transported in a plastic bottle like this.

'We would urge anyone buying fish online,particularly on these types of selling sites,to check how their fish will arrive and to refuse to buy from people who do not use an authorised courier.'

Royal Mail declined to comment further.

An eBay spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to hear about our customer's experience on eBay.

'We prohibit the sale of most live animals,however,aquarium or pond fish (up to 5cm long),snails,tadpoles or similar creatures are permitted as long as the seller can guarantee safe,overnight delivery. Aquarium or pond fish longer than 5cm may be listed with the 'Collection in person' option.'

MailOnline contacted eBay for further comment.

Royal MaileBay