A father-of-two who plastered stickers which said 'Halal is barbaric and funds terrorism' on supermarket chicken has insisted he is an animal rights activist and not racist. Liam Edwards, 29, walked into a Sainsbury's store in Salford, Greater Manchester, with the #BanHalal stickers and stuck them on numerous packets of meat in the chilled goods aisle. He was stopped by security and, after police were called, officers searched his home and found cannabis and a letter addressed from the Beer and Bacon Company of Great Britain which made reference to an 'anti-Jihadi frog'. Scroll down for video . Liam Edwards, 29 (pictured outside court, right), walked into a Sainsbury's store in Salford, Greater Manchester, and plastered the #BanHalal stickers on numerous packets of meat in the chilled goods aisle . The sticker which Edwards plastered on the supermarket chicken said: 'Halal is barbaric and funds terrorism.' However, he has insisted he is an animal rights activist and that the incident was not racially-aggravated . Manchester Magistrates' Court heard how there was also reference that he had browsed patriotsagainstIslam.co.uk on his home computer. Edwards, of Salford, admitted criminal damage in relation to the supermarket incident on February 18 and possession of cannabis. However, he denied that he was 'racially motivated' when he carried out the attack on the supermarket chicken and will face trial in July over the charge. It emerged that £16.50 worth of chicken had to be destroyed as a result of his actions. At the court hearing today, it was said that he was simply drawing attention to the 'inhumane' halal methods of animal slaughter, which involves slitting the animal's throat to allow the blood to drain out. Holly Holden, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant has gone to the supermarket and placed stickers on packets of chicken saying 'halal is barbaric and funds terrorism'. The chicken had to be destroyed because the stickers could not be removed. 'He says he wished to draw attention to the inhumane halal methods of animal slaughter and that was his motivation rather than racial prejudice. 'The point about animal cruelty could be expressed in a different way without the suggestion that halal and terrorism are linked.' Edwards (pictured outside Manchester Magistrates' Court today) admitted criminal damage in relation to the supermarket incident but denied that he was 'racially motivated'. He also admitted possession of cannabis . Edwards plastered the stickers on meat, signs in the chilled goods aisle and even on supermarket trollies . Manchester Magistrates' Court was told that Edwards was simply drawing attention to the 'inhumane' halal methods of animal slaughter, which involves slitting the animal's throat to allow the blood to drain out . Mike Cahill, defending, said Edwards was protesting against halal slaughter and the reference to terrorism in the stickers referred neither to race nor religion. He said: 'He uses the word terrorism but that can't denote race or indeed religion.' Bailing him until a further hearing on July 23, District Judge James Hatton added: 'You have pleaded guilty to some matters but not guilty to the racially-aggravated criminal damage. There will have to be a trial.' Judge Hatton told Edwards that the conditions of his bail including not going near the Sainsbury's supermarket in Salford. Halal involves cutting through arteries in the neck . HALAL . Halal slaughtering involves cutting through the large arteries in the neck with one swipe of a blade, while a Muslim butcher recites a religious verse. All blood is then drained away since the consumption of blood is forbidden under Islamic law. Under Islamic law, an animal must be slaughtered by having its throat cut while it is conscious. NON-HALAL . In comparison, the non-halal method involves taking animals to an abattoir where they are stunned before being killed. It means the animal is unconscious when it is killed and has an instantaneous death, as opposed to enduring what animal rights activists claim is drawn-out pain and suffering. Once the animal has been killed at the abattoir, it is removed and taken to be hung and butchered. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
Liam Edwards, 29, plastered #BanHalal stickers on chicken in Sainsbury's . Round red and white stickers said: 'Halal is barbaric and funds terrorism'
Police later found cannabis at his home and letter referencing 'anti-Jihadi'
Edwards admitted criminal damage over chicken and possession of drug . But denies that he was 'racially motivated' when he put stickers on meat . Father will now face trial for racially-aggravated criminal damage in July .